Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a central signaling enzyme in a cell nucleus. PARP-1 is a target for the development of radio and chemo sensitizing agents in cancer treatment as well as providing protection from stroke. An SH3 domain and an SH3 ligand domain have now been discovered on the PARP-1 protein. These domains are involved in PARP-1 activation. This discovery makes possible the use of bioinformatics tools for the design of new drugs and strategies for drug target selection, specifically targeting the PARP-1 enzyme.