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BRCA1a has antitumor activity in TN breast, ovarian and prostate cancers

C Yuli1, N Shao, R Rao

  • 1Program of Cancer Genetics, Department of Biochemistry, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Oncogene
|March 27, 2007
PubMed

Insights

The BRCA1a splice variant inhibits the growth of various cancer cells, including triple-negative breast cancer. This finding offers potential new treatments for difficult-to-treat cancers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Mutations in Breast Cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) increase risks for breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
  • A previously identified BRCA1 splice variant, BRCA1a/p110, demonstrated the ability to induce apoptosis in human breast cancer cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the tumor suppressor function of the BRCA1a/p110 splice variant.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of BRCA1a/p110 in inhibiting the growth of various cancer cell types and in vivo tumor models.

Main Methods:

  • Stable expression of BRCA1a/p110 in human ER-positive and triple-negative (TN) breast, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancer cells, as well as mouse fibroblast cells.
  • Assessment of growth suppression in relation to wild-type Rb and p53 status.
  • Evaluation of tumor growth inhibition in nude mice xenograft models (CAL-51 TN breast, ES-2 ovarian, PC-3 prostate cancer).

Main Results:

  • Stable expression of BRCA1a/p110 inhibited the growth of ER-positive and TN breast, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancer cells.
  • Growth suppression was dependent on wild-type Rb but independent of p53 status.
  • BRCA1a significantly reduced tumor mass in xenograft models of TN breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer.

Conclusions:

  • The BRCA1a/p110 splice variant exhibits significant antitumor activity across multiple cancer types, including hormone-independent ovarian and prostate cancers.
  • The majority of exon 11 sequences are not essential for the tumor suppressor function of BRCA1 proteins.
  • BRCA1a represents a promising therapeutic candidate for triple-negative breast cancers and other malignancies with limited treatment options.

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