BRCA1 mutations in Breast, Ovarian Cancer can predict treatment resistance

This month, two studies in the JCI investigated the mechanisms underlying the treatment resistance associated with some BRCA1 mutations, and the findings provide information that may help predict which treatments will be effective in women with breast and ovarian cancer.
Neil Johnson's lab at the Fox Chase Cancer Center examined treatment resistance in breast cancer cells expressing the same BRCA1185delAG mutation and determined that the RING-deficient BRCA1 protein was also responsible for loss of sensitivity to certain types of cancer treatments.
These findings identify specific BRCA1 mutations that are more likely to develop therapy resistance, which may lead to more accurate predictions and personalized treatments for breast and ovarian cancers.