Genetics and Health

153 More Genes for Breast Cancer

by Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD on August 12th, 2005

When it rains, it pours. Using DNA chips aka DNA microarray, researchers have found another 153 genes associated with breast cancer. The FOXA1 gene appeared to be especially promising; it modulates estrogen’s effects in cancer cells and without the FOXA1 protein, the growth of breast cancer cells in response to estrogen was nearly halted. (Forbes, August 12, 2005)

These are the steps researchers took to identify the FOXA1 gene:

1. Engineered a DNA microchip using information from the Human Genome Project - 19,000 gene fragments were studied.
2. Identified potential estrogen receptor genes in breast cancer cells. (About two-thirds of breast tumors are stimulated by estrogen.)
3. Pinpointed the FOXA1 gene and removed the protein it makes from the cancer cells.
4. Observed the FOXA1 deficient cancer cells and found that they no longer grew in the presence of estrogen.

Future research will involve:

• Studying the function of FOXA1 in animal models.
• Developing a drug that turns off the FOXA1 gene which will hopefully work better than currently available treatment, e.g., radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

There are only 20,000 to 25,000 genes in the human genome, so identifying more than 100 is a significant achievement and a nice hop on the road of progress.

Share This

Related Stories

Another faulty gene linked to breast cancer
Familial Breast Cancer: More Than Just BRCA
Embryonic Screening for Breast Cancer Genes
Illinois Medicaid covers genetic tests for breast/ovarian cancer
Hundreds of Unidentified Gene Variants Increase Risk of Breast Cancer

POSTED IN: Genetics of Disease