Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Functional Assessment of BRCA1 variants using CRISPR-Mediated Base Editors
Published on: February 28, 2021
A common coding variant in CASP8 is associated with breast cancer risk
Angela Cox1, Alison M Dunning, Montserrat Garcia-Closas
1Sheffield University Medical School, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK.
The Breast Cancer Association Consortium identified genetic variants in CASP8 and TGFB1 associated with breast cancer risk. This study highlights the power of large-scale genetic analysis in uncovering common susceptibility alleles with small effects.
Area of Science:
- Human Genetics
- Cancer Epidemiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Identifying genetic factors influencing breast cancer susceptibility is crucial for understanding disease etiology.
- Previous studies suggested potential associations between several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and breast cancer risk, but required larger sample sizes for confirmation.
- The Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) was formed to aggregate data and increase statistical power for genetic association studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To confirm or refute putative genetic associations with breast cancer by conducting combined case-control analyses.
- To investigate the role of nine specific SNPs in breast cancer susceptibility using a large, multi-study dataset.
- To demonstrate the capability of powerful genetic studies to detect common susceptibility alleles with small effects on risk.
Main Methods:
- Genotyping of nine selected SNPs (CASP8 D302H, IGFBP3 -202 C --> A, SOD2 V16A, TGFB1 L10P, ATM S49C, ADH1B 3' UTR A --> G, CDKN1A S31R, ICAM5 V301I, and NUMA1 A794G) was performed.
- Data from 9 to 15 independent studies were combined, including a total of 11,391–18,290 cases and 14,753–22,670 controls.
- Statistical analyses, including trend tests and odds ratio calculations with confidence intervals, were employed to assess SNP associations with breast cancer.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant association was found between the CASP8 D302H SNP and breast cancer risk (P(trend) = 1.1 x 10(-7)), with reduced risk observed for heterozygotes and rare homozygotes.
- Weaker evidence of association was observed for the TGFB1 L10P SNP (P(trend) = 2.8 x 10(-5)), indicating a potential increase in breast cancer risk.
- The study successfully identified common breast cancer susceptibility alleles with small but detectable effects on risk.
Conclusions:
- The findings confirm the association of CASP8 D302H with breast cancer risk and provide evidence for TGFB1 L10P.
- This study underscores the importance of large-scale collaborative efforts like BCAC in advancing the understanding of breast cancer genetics.
- Sufficiently powered genetic studies are effective in identifying common genetic variants that contribute to breast cancer susceptibility.
More Related Videos
08:15gDNA Enrichment by a Transposase-based Technology for NGS Analysis of the Whole Sequence of BRCA1, BRCA2, and 9 Genes Involved in DNA Damage Repair
Published on: October 6, 2014
06:59Using Next Generation Sequencing to Identify Mutations Associated with Repair of a CAS9-induced Double Strand Break Near the CD4 Promoter
Published on: March 31, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Caspases
Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Comparing Copy Number Variations and SNPs
Copy number variations or CNVs are the structural variations that cover more than 1kb of DNA sequence. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), on the other hand, is a single nucleotide change or a point mutation that is found in more than 1%...
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell