| STUDY OF DAMAGE TO GENETIC
MATERIAL IN BLOOD CELLS IN MEN WHO ARE AT HIGH RISK OF PROSTATE
CANCER
Dr Kote-Jarai, Dr Rosalind A Eeles Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton |
Chromosomal Instability in Lymphocytes from BRCA1/2 Mutation carriers after radiation-induced DNA damage
Men with certain mutations (genetic changes) in their white blood cells (lymphocytes) are prone to developing prostate cancer. The mutations involved are known as BRAC1 and BRAC2 and they occur in good health and have a role in repairing broken DNA.
It is already known that one of the breast cancer genes increases the risk of prostate cancer in men who have inherited alterations in this gene. This gene mends damage in genetic material. If this repair mechanism is faulty, then genetic damage could persist which could cause prostate cancer.
This research tries to answer why some men are prone by examining how genetic material in blood cells copes with damage caused by irradiation.
This study looked at whether, or not, cells with these genetic mutations were more sensitive to the effects of ionizing irradiation as determined by a fluorescin examination of a cell's DNA after irradiation.
It was found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that this proves to be the case
and cells from patients with the mutations have a higher degree of CIN
(chromosomal instability) after irradiation than those from non-carriers.
Research summary dated 25 March 2003
Project 2002/10