Breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) is a tumor suppressor gene, which is mainly involved in the repair of DNA damage, cell cycle regulation, maintenance of genome stability, and other important physiological processes. Mutations or defects in the BRCA1 gene significantly increase the risk of breast, ovarian, prostate, and other cancers in carriers. People who have inherited a harmful variant in BRCA1 and BRCA2 also tend to develop cancer at younger ages than people who do not have such a variant. 55%–72% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 variant and 45%–69% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 variant will develop breast cancer by 70–80 years of age. Likewise, 39%–44% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 variant and 11%–17% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 variant will develop ovarian cancer by 70–80 years of age.
Unfortunately, many women learn that they have a BRCA1/2 mutation only after breast or ovarian cancer has developed, often when the diseases are too advanced to be cured with surgery. From the first report in 2014, there are 4 inhibitors of poly ADP ribose polymerase approved by FDA that could be used in advanced stages of BRAC1/2 cancers. In contrast, recent studies comparing a large set of tumors from patients with primary and recurrent BRCA1/2 mutation-associated breast and ovarian cancers found multiple features associated with recurrence, including features that would be expected to improve tumors’ ability to repair treatment-caused DNA damage. |Despite the advancement in BRACA1/2 related studies, there exist a lot of hurdles to effectively treat BRCA1/2 related cancers and a complete understanding of the BRCA1/2 related cancer mechanism is a valuable discipline for the scientific community.
A mutated BRCA1/2 gene may no longer be effective at repairing broken DNA and is more likely to develop cancers, and such mutations may pass to the next generation. Despite different therapeutic approaches an effective treatment for BRCA1/2 cancers are still not achieved and relapse of such cancers are becoming a great threat.
Thus, we aim to publish articles related to basic/applied studies on BRCA1/2 associated cancers. Short communications/full-length articles/reviews are welcome, including but not limited to the following contents:
· BRCA gene important in many physiological processes
· BRCA variants leading to breast cancer and ovarian cancer
· Mutation and inheritance
· Early detection of BRCA mutation
· Resistance and recurrence in BRCA therapy
· Complete understanding of the BRCA1/2 related cancer mechanism
· Therapeutic interventions and molecular mechanisms
Keywords:
BRCA1, BRAC2, cancer, therapeutic approach, molecular studies
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) is a tumor suppressor gene, which is mainly involved in the repair of DNA damage, cell cycle regulation, maintenance of genome stability, and other important physiological processes. Mutations or defects in the BRCA1 gene significantly increase the risk of breast, ovarian, prostate, and other cancers in carriers. People who have inherited a harmful variant in BRCA1 and BRCA2 also tend to develop cancer at younger ages than people who do not have such a variant. 55%–72% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 variant and 45%–69% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 variant will develop breast cancer by 70–80 years of age. Likewise, 39%–44% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 variant and 11%–17% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 variant will develop ovarian cancer by 70–80 years of age.
Unfortunately, many women learn that they have a BRCA1/2 mutation only after breast or ovarian cancer has developed, often when the diseases are too advanced to be cured with surgery. From the first report in 2014, there are 4 inhibitors of poly ADP ribose polymerase approved by FDA that could be used in advanced stages of BRAC1/2 cancers. In contrast, recent studies comparing a large set of tumors from patients with primary and recurrent BRCA1/2 mutation-associated breast and ovarian cancers found multiple features associated with recurrence, including features that would be expected to improve tumors’ ability to repair treatment-caused DNA damage. |Despite the advancement in BRACA1/2 related studies, there exist a lot of hurdles to effectively treat BRCA1/2 related cancers and a complete understanding of the BRCA1/2 related cancer mechanism is a valuable discipline for the scientific community.
A mutated BRCA1/2 gene may no longer be effective at repairing broken DNA and is more likely to develop cancers, and such mutations may pass to the next generation. Despite different therapeutic approaches an effective treatment for BRCA1/2 cancers are still not achieved and relapse of such cancers are becoming a great threat.
Thus, we aim to publish articles related to basic/applied studies on BRCA1/2 associated cancers. Short communications/full-length articles/reviews are welcome, including but not limited to the following contents:
· BRCA gene important in many physiological processes
· BRCA variants leading to breast cancer and ovarian cancer
· Mutation and inheritance
· Early detection of BRCA mutation
· Resistance and recurrence in BRCA therapy
· Complete understanding of the BRCA1/2 related cancer mechanism
· Therapeutic interventions and molecular mechanisms
Keywords:
BRCA1, BRAC2, cancer, therapeutic approach, molecular studies
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.