In breast-cancer susceptibility gene 2 (BRCA2)-deficient cancer cells, the inactivation of replicative stress response factors (e.g. poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase [PARP1] or ATM and Rad3-related [ATR] inhibition) triggers cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-STING-mediated innate immune responses (11, 12). Here, PARP1 is linked to cancer.