Cancer Research: Problem Set #3 Genetics and Molecular Biology

Cancer Research: Problem Set #3 Genetics and Molecular Biology
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Genes and normal function
There are people who carry mutated BRCA1 (BReast CAncer gene one) and BRCA2 (BReast CAncer gene two) genes, which increases the risk of breast cancer, but there are different high risk breast cancer genes PTEN and TP53 (Grindedal, et al., 2017). The BRCA genes are involved in producing tumor suppressor proteins, and the proteins help repair damaged DNA and ensure the stability of genetic materials in cells. BRCA1 is involved in breast and ovarian cancers, while BRCA2 is involved in breast cancer.
Gene mutation and cancer
Hormonal, reproductive, hereditary and sometimes environmental risk factors increase the likelihood of developing breast and ovarian cancers. Truncated mutations in the sequence code of BRCA genes means that they fail to suppress tumors, which code for the proteins that are involved in DNA repair. In other words, when there is mutation or deletion of the gene there is loss in the function of the tumor suppressor genes, which increases the risk of tumors developing
Breast cancer
The initial symptoms of breast cancer are related to alterations in the breast, mainly the appearance of small painless lumps, but these lumps may be benign. As such, it is necessary to go for fu...