PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsGene discovery sheds light on hereditary breast cancer

BioNews

Gene discovery sheds light on hereditary breast cancer

Published 9 June 2009 posted in News and appears in BioNews 409

Author

Ailsa Stevens

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.

US Researchers have discovered a gene that could lead to an explanation for some cases of inherited breast cancer in families who have tested negative for BRCA1; a well-known gene responsible for less than 50 per cent of inherited breast cancer cases, say the authors of the...

US Researchers have discovered a gene that could lead to an explanation for some cases of inherited breast cancer in families who have tested negative for BRCA1; a well-known gene responsible for less than 50 per cent of inherited breast cancer cases, say the authors of the study.


Published in the journal Science, three teams of researchers have identified a possible new breast cancer gene, RAP80, showing it to be essential for BRCA1 to carry out its normal function in DNA repair.


'The genetic basis of breast cancers in other families has been largely unknown', explains Roger Greenberg, senior author of one of the papers. 'These families aren't able to make informed choices about screening and treatment, prophylactic or otherwise, the way the BRCA families can'.


It's a constant battle for the body to repair the DNA damage which occurs naturally in all cells. Previous studies have shown that the cells in people who have an abnormal BRCA1 gene are unable to carry out DNA repair properly, resulting in the accumulation of potentially cancer-causing DNA damage.


By using a laser to cause DNA damage to specific sites in cells, the researchers have shown that proteins produced by the RAP80 and BRCA1 genes both accumulate at the site of damage in normal cells, but not in cells with an abnormal RAP80 gene. They believe that this could be because the RAP80 gene helps BRCA1 to identify areas of DNA in need of repair, by binding to these sites.


'With this current discovery, we have made significant new insights into the molecular mechanism by which BRCA1 recognizes sites of DNA damage that breast-cancer-causing mutated forms of BRCA1 cannot recognize', says Greenberg. 'Now we have gained a partial understanding of the molecular basis between cancer-causing BRCA1 failures to fix DNA damage versus normal BRCA1's ability to fix DNA damage'.


Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, Ed Young, a scientist form Cancer Research UK said: 'RAP80 attaches to a region in BRCA1 and then also attaches to damaged DNA; it acts as a go between. At the moment, that has no clinical implications but what they're saying is that RAP80 could possibly be a breast cancer gene'.


During the 1990's the discovery of the BRCA 1 and BRCA2 genes, which can cause women to have up to an 80 per cent chance of developing breast cancer if abnormal, have been the most significant advances in our understanding of the genetic basis of breast cancer. Although further research is needed, the discovery of a link between RAP80 and BRCA1 may in future help to identify women at high risk from breast cancer, who do not have BRCA abnormalities.

Related Articles

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

Genetic test for breast cancer risk factors

by Dr Rebecca Robey

A new, simple genetic test could improve the way breast cancer screening is approached in the UK, according to leading Cancer Research UK scientists. In a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Cambridge University-based research team identified seven new gene variants that are...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Draft UK Tissue and Embryos bill published

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
13 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Drop in diversity of blood stem cells leads to old-age health issues

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

UK report reveals public attitudes to fertility, genomics and embryo research

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Shortage of sperm donors despite men willing to donate

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

North East London CCG proposes offering three funded IVF cycles

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Fibrosis drugs reverse ovarian ageing in mice

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Gene implicated in motor neurone diseases discovered

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856