Role of ets Oncogenes in the Progression of Breast Cancer
Abstract
Our long term goal of this proposal is to study the molecular events leading to the progression of breast cancer with emphasis on the role of elk-1 gene. Previously we observed increase in the expression of elk-1 RNA in the presence of estrogen in breast cancer cells. Recently, we have studied and have found no significant effect of estrogen on the transcriptional activation and expression of elk-1 protein, suggesting that the estrogen regulation of elk-1 could be at the level of transcription. Previously, we found BRCA1 gene product to function as a regulator of elk-1 gene. We have developed human breast cancer cell lines expressing BRCA1. Our results demonstrate BRCA1 to function as an inducer of apoptosis. These results suggest that BRCA1 and elk-1 genes may play a critical role in the regulation of apoptosis. Thus a wide variety of human malignancies like breast cancers have a decreased ability to undergo apoptosis. This could be due to lack/decreased levels of functional BRCA1 proteins. Treatments that are aimed at increasing the apoptotic threshold by BRCA1 gene therapy may have the potential to prevent the progression of these malignancies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADB225278
Entities
People
- Veena N. Rao