DURHAM, N.C., Jan 17, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A U.S. breast cancer study might
help explain why some women are at increased risk of developing both breast and
ovarian cancer.
Duke University Medical Center researchers said a breast cancer gene's newly
discovered role in repairing damaged DNA might also lead to more effective
therapies for women with and without mutated copies of the BRCA1 gene.
"Since it was discovered in 1994, BRCA1 and its role in preventing and causing
cancer has been intensely studied, and our research represents an important
piece of the puzzle," said Craig Bennett, the project's lead investigator. "This
study has identified an important mechanism by which BRCA1 comes into play when
DNA Â? is damaged. We have shown that this theory holds up, not just in
scientific models, but in human breast cancer cells as well."
The findings are detailed in the online journal PLoS ONE.
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Copyright 2008 by United Press International