Abstract
Mutations in BRCA genes are the leading cause of hereditary breast cancer. Current options to prevent cancer in these high-risk patients, such as anti-estrogen drugs and radical mastectomy, are limited by lack of efficacy, undesirable toxicities, or physical and emotional challenges. We have previously shown that PARP inhibitors can significantly delay tumor development in BRCA1-deficient mice. Here, we fabricated the PARP inhibitor talazoparib (TLZ) into spacer implants (InCeT-TLZ) for localized and sustained delivery. We hypothesized that this novel formulation will provide an effective chemopreventive strategy with minimal toxicity. TLZ was released gradually over 30 days as implants degraded. InCeT-TLZ significantly decreased proliferation and increased DNA damage in the mammary glands of BRCA1-deficient mice. Notably, the number of mice that developed hyperplasia in the mammary glands was significantly lower with InCeT-TLZ treatment compared to the control group. Meanwhile, InCeT-TLZ was also better tolerated than oral TLZ, without loss of body weight or anemia. This study provides proof of concept for a novel and safe chemopreventive strategy using localized delivery of a PARP inhibitor for high-risk individuals. Future studies will directly evaluate the effects of InCeT-TLZ for preventing tumor development.