Faulty BRCA1 gene may lead to breast cancer
Q. Faulty BRCA1 gene may lead to which of the following?- Published on 23 Jun 16a. Colour Blindness
b. Sickle cell anaemia
c. Alzheimer
d. Breast Cancer
ANSWER: Breast Cancer
- People who carry a faulty BRCA1 gene are at high risk of developing aggressive breast cancer.
- By pinpointing the cells that give rise to breast cancers in women who have inherited a faulty version of the BRCA1 gene, researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Australia identified that the drug denosumab may have potential to prevent breast cancer from developing.
- Cancer precursor cells in BRCA1-mutant breast tissue had many similarities to aggressive forms of breast cancer. These pre-cancerous cells could be identified by a marker protein called RANK.
- The discovery of RANK as a marker of cancer precursors was an important breakthrough, because inhibitors of the RANK signalling pathway were already in clinical use.
- The research team showed that RANK inhibition switched off cell growth in breast tissue from women with a faulty BRCA1 gene and curtailed breast cancer development in laboratory models.
- This strategy could delay or prevent breast cancer in women with an inherited BRCA1 gene mutation.
