Cancer is a complex and common disease caused by a combination of both genetic and environmental factors. An inherited predisposition seems to be involved in at least 5-10 per cent of all cases of breast cancer.
The two major familial breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 only explain 20-30 per cent of families with site-specific female breast cancer, which suggests the contribution of additional susceptibility genes. According to Dr Robert Winqvist, who coordinates the research effort, the identification of these genes may help to clarify the genetic background contributing to breast cancer and suggest novel pharmaceutical targets. It could also lead to genetic screening that identifies individuals at increased breast cancer risk and result in improved prevention efforts and treatment.
About a year ago, Dr Bing Xia and Professor David Livingston at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston identified a novel BRCA2 binding factor, PALB2 that regulates certain key functions of normal BRCA2 activity. The next step was to set out to evaluate the newly detected PALB2 gene as a potential heritable breast cancer susceptibility candidate by screening for disease-related alterations. The results of this international research effort were recently published in Nature.