BRCA1 Gene News and Research

RSS

BRCA1 is a gene on chromosome 17 that normally helps to suppress cell growth. A person who inherits certain mutations (changes) in a BRCA1 gene has a higher risk of getting breast, ovarian, prostate, and other types of cancer.

Giant-nucleus cells form the foundation of early-stage cancer

Iron is an essential micronutrient, but excess iron can damage cells and increase cancer risk. While many cells die from iron-induced oxidative stress, a subset survives and may become cancerous.

11 Sep 2026

Innate immunity genes may influence earlier breast cancer onset in BRCA1 carriers

Damaging variants in genes involved in a rapid immune response (innate immunity) are significantly linked to earlier breast cancer onset in carriers of the harmful BRCA1 genetic mutation, reveal preliminary findings published online in the Journal of Medical Genetics.

31 Mar 2026

AI trained on 9 trillion DNA letters predicts harmful mutations and designs new genomes

Scientists developed Evo 2, a large biological foundation model trained on about 9 trillion DNA base pairs that can analyse genomic sequences across bacteria, plants, and humans. The model predicts functional effects of genetic variants and can generate genome-scale DNA sequences, enabling new approaches to studying and designing biological systems.

5 Mar 2026

Cleveland Clinic reports promising results for breast cancer vaccine from final Phase 1 data

Cleveland Clinic researchers are presenting final Phase 1 data from their novel study of a vaccine aimed at preventing triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive and lethal form of the disease.

11 Dec 2025

Cell nucleus shape plays a key role in cancer therapy outcomes

Cancer cells with a cell nucleus that is easily deformed are more sensitive to drugs that damage DNA. These are the findings of a new study by researchers at Linköping University in Sweden.

2 Dec 2025

New discovery uncovers hidden drivers of DNA transcription errors

Every living cell must interpret its genetic code - a sequence of chemical letters that governs countless cellular functions.

11 Jul 2025

Study challenges role of BRCA1 mutation in prostate cancer initiation

Mutations in the BRCA1 gene that are either inherited (germline) or acquired (somatic) might not be key to the initiation of prostate cancer, as previously thought, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the open access journal BMJ Oncology.

24 Feb 2025

Study shows how a single defective BRCA1 gene accelerates cancer development

People inherit two copies of each gene - one from each parent - an evolutionary fail-safe to ensure survival even when one of them doesn't function.

11 Nov 2024

BRCA1 testing during prenatal care could prevent cancer, save lives

Harmful variants in the BRCA1 gene greatly increase a person's lifetime risk of developing breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers, but most people are unaware they are carriers.

30 May 2024

Research uncovers cells-of-origin for breast cancer in BRCA2 mutation carriers

Australian scientists have pinpointed likely 'cells-of-origin', the source cells that can grow into breast cancer, in women carrying a faulty BRCA2 gene who are at high risk of developing the disease.

16 Jan 2024

Study finds link between epimutations in BRCA1 gene and triple-negative breast cancer risk

Research reveals that around 20 per cent of all cases of the most severe form of breast cancer may arise from the small group of normal tissue cells carrying an epimutation of a specific gene.

7 Dec 2023

New discovery sheds light on how BRCA1 mutations cause cancer in women

Three decades after discoveries linking mutations in the BRCA1 gene to breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility, research led by Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) has pinpointed the molecular mechanism by which a large portion of these mutations cause cancers in women.

9 Oct 2023

Progress and challenges in completing the human gene catalogue

A group of authors reviewed the progress and challenges in annotating the human genome, including protein-coding genes, isoforms, and non-coding RNAs, and advocated for a universal annotation standard for clinical use.

5 Oct 2023

Researchers highlight the importance of localizing BRCA gene mutations for better ovarian cancer treatment

Mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are inherited by 1 in 400 and 1 in 800 people respectively, significantly increase the risk of certain cancers such as ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer.

28 Nov 2022

Error-prone DNA replication and repair may lead to cancer in people with inherited BRCA1 mutations

Error-prone DNA replication and repair may lead to mutations and cancer in individuals who inherit a mutant copy of the BRCA1 gene, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

15 Nov 2022

Two new studies help improve the understanding of ovarian cancer

Two new discoveries led by Cedars-Sinai Cancer investigators help improve the understanding of what drives the development of ovarian cancer and why some women's tumors do not respond to therapy.

11 Oct 2022

Defective gene in blood cancers could be treated with already available drugs

A defective gene, normally found in blood cancers, could be treated with drugs already available for cancers with similar gene defects, scientists at Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Birmingham have revealed.

13 Jan 2022

Study explores therapeutic potential of exploiting autophagy cascade against COVID-19

Researchers recently reviewed current knowledge on links between autophagy and coronaviruses and how this knowledge can be used to repurpose autophagy modulators as potential treatment options for COVID-19. The review is published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

7 Jun 2021

New atlas can help understand the relationship between healthy and breast cancer cells

Australian researchers have documented the diversity of cells in the human breast, explaining the relationship between healthy breast cells and breast cancer cells.

17 May 2021

First complete atlas of how mutations affect the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease

A study published in the journal eLife made all the possible mutations in the amyloid beta peptide and tested how they influence its aggregation into plaques, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

9 Mar 2021