PARP1 (poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1) is a nuclear enzyme catalyzing the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of many key proteins in vivo. The normal function of PARP1 is the routine repair of DNA damage. Activated by DNA strand breaks, the PARP1 is cleaved into an 85 to 89-kDa COOH-terminal fragment and a 24-kDa NH2-terminal peptide by caspases during the apoptotic process. The appearance of PARP fragments is commonly considered as an important biomarker of apoptosis.