12/22/2021
Advancing Breast Cancer Prevention Strategies
Mihriban Karaayvaz, PhD, assistant staff in the Genomic Medicine Institute, has been awarded a one-year, $40,000 grant from the American Cancer Society to investigate the molecular details of the early changes in human breast cells observed in BRCA2-associated breast cancer.
Women with germline (heritable changes affecting all cells in the body) mutations of BRCA2 have an elevated risk of developing breast cancer compared to the general population. While a prophylactic double mastectomy (surgical removal of both breasts) presents as an effective preventive strategy, many women remain reluctant to undergo the surgical procedure. Therefore, there is an urgent clinical need for additional, nonsurgical alternatives for breast cancer prevention in patients with BRCA2 mutations.
With this new grant, Dr. Karaayvaz’s team will unravel the molecular circuitry linking BRCA2 function, replication stress response and cellular transformation in human breast cells. Their findings should help pave the way for the development of innovative strategies for breast cancer risk assessment and prevention.
