The finding that PARP-1 promotes human primary melanocyte proliferation in a PARylation-independent manner mediated by the induction of the melanocyte-lineage survival oncogene MITF suggest a universal role of PARP-1 in carcinogenesis supporting the concept of PARP inhibition as an anti-cancer modality (Choi et al., 2017). The gene discussed is MITF; the disease is cancer.