TARGETED GENE TESTING IN ONCOLOGY: UNLOCKING PRECISION MEDICINE FOR BRCA1/2 MUTATIONS

Main Article Content

Muhammad Farhan Mukhtar
Kiran Jamal
Beenish Fatima
Asghar Ali Shaikh
Mohammed Faisal
Mehroosh Shakeel
Saleem Ahmad
Muhammad Raheel
Rizwanullah

Keywords

BRCA1, Breast cancer, Oncogenes, Tumor suppressor genes, Somatic mutations, Exons, Whole exome sequencing

Abstract

This study investigates the expression profiles of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in hereditary breast cancer patients, highlighting their diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic significance. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 150 participants, including 90 patients with a familial history of breast cancer and 60 healthy controls. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), we quantified BRCA1/2 mRNA levels and assessed their correlation with clinical features such as tumor grade, stage, and response to therapy. Results revealed a significant downregulation of BRCA1/2 expression in mutation carriers compared to non-carriers and controls, correlating with higher tumor aggressiveness and poorer prognosis. These findings suggest that BRCA1/2 expression profiling could serve as a reliable biomarker for risk stratification, early detection, and treatment optimization in hereditary breast cancer. Further exploration of gene expression dynamics may pave the way for personalized management strategies.

Abstract 178 | pdf Downloads 102

References

1. Pourmasoumi P, Moradi A, Bayat M. BRCA1/2 Mutations and Breast/Ovarian Cancer Risk: A New Insights Review. Reproductive Sciences. 2024 :1-1.
2. Tanha K, Mottaghi A, Nojomi M, Moradi M, Rajabzadeh R, Lotfi S, Janani L. Investigation on factors associated with ovarian cancer: An umbrella review of systematic review and meta-analyses. Journal of ovarian research. 2021;14:1-7.
3. Awaji AA, Maigoro AY, Aborode AT, Akintola AA, Fatoba DO, Idris EB, Idris AB, Jafri S, Shoaib E, Onifade IA, Olapade Z. Identification of key molecular pathways and genes in BRCA1 and BRCA2-mutant ovarian cancer: evidence from bioinformatics analysis. Genome Instability & Disease. 2024;5(4):164-82.
4. Krishnan R, Patel PS, Hakem R. BRCA1 and metastasis: outcome of defective DNA repair. Cancers. 2021 ;14(1):108.
5. Li S, Silvestri V, Leslie G, Rebbeck TR, Neuhausen SL, Hopper JL, Nielsen HR, Lee A, Yang X, McGuffog L, Parsons MT. Cancer risks associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2022;40(14):1529-41.
6. Evans DG, van Veen EM, Harkness EF, Brentnall AR, Astley SM, Byers H, Woodward ER, Sampson S, Southworth J, Howell SJ, Maxwell AJ. Breast cancer risk stratification in women of screening age: incremental effects of adding mammographic density, polygenic risk, and a gene panel. Genetics in Medicine. 2022 ;24(7):1485-94.
7. Grafodatskaya D, D O’Rielly D, Bedard K, Butcher DT, Howlett CJ, Lytwyn A, McCready E, Parboosingh J, Spriggs EL, Vaags AK, Stockley TL. Practice guidelines for BRCA1/2 tumour testing in ovarian cancer. Journal of Medical Genetics. 2022;59(8):727-36.
8. Li X, Zou L. BRCAness, DNA gaps, and gain and loss of PARP inhibitor–induced synthetic lethality. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2024;134(14).
9. Morand S, Devanaboyina M, Staats H, Stanbery L, Nemunaitis J. Ovarian cancer immunotherapy and personalized medicine. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021;22(12):6532.
10. Nero C, Ciccarone F, Pietragalla A, Duranti S, Daniele G, Salutari V, Carbone MV, Scambia G, Lorusso D. Ovarian cancer treatments strategy: focus on PARP inhibitors and immune check point inhibitors. Cancers. 2021;13(6):1298.
11. Burke W, Parens E, Chung WK, Berger SM, Appelbaum PS. The challenge of genetic variants of uncertain clinical significance: a narrative review. Annals of internal medicine. 2022 ;175(7):994-1000.
12. Zhang Y, Ali A, Xie J. Detection of clinically important BRCA gene mutations in ovarian cancer patients using next generation sequencing analysis. American Journal of Cancer Research. 2023;13(10):5005.
13. Custódio N, Savisaar R, Carvalho C, Bak-Gordon P, Ribeiro MI, Tavares J, Nunes PB, Peixoto A, Pinto C, Escudeiro C, Teixeira MR. Expression profiling in ovarian cancer reveals coordinated regulation of BRCA1/2 and homologous recombination genes. Biomedicines. 2022 ;10(2):199.
14. Fasching PA, Yadav S, Hu C, Wunderle M, Häberle L, Hart SN, Rübner M, Polley EC, Lee KY, Gnanaolivu RD, Hadji P. Mutations in BRCA1/2 and other panel genes in patients with metastatic breast cancer—Association with patient and disease characteristics and effect on prognosis. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2021;39(15):1619-30.
15. Arakelyan A, Melkonyan A, Hakobyan S, Boyarskih U, Simonyan A, Nersisyan L, Nikoghosyan M, Filipenko M, Binder H. Transcriptome patterns of BRCA1-and BRCA2-mutated breast and ovarian cancers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021 ;22(3):1266.
16. Labidi-Galy SI, Rodrigues M, Sandoval JL, Kurtz JE, Heitz F, Mosconi AM, Romero I, Denison U, Nagao S, Vergote I, Parma G. Association of location of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations with benefit from olaparib and bevacizumab maintenance in high-grade ovarian cancer: phase III PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial subgroup exploratory analysis. Annals of Oncology. 2023 ;34(2):152-62.
17. Ahn HS, Ho JY, Yu J, Yeom J, Lee S, Hur SY, Jung Y, Kim K, Choi YJ. Plasma protein biomarkers associated with higher ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1/2 carriers. Cancers. 2021;13(10):2300.
18. Pintican RM, Chiorean A, Duma M, Feier D, Szep M, Eniu D, Goidescu I, Dudea S. Are mutation carrier patients different from non-carrier patients? Genetic, pathology, and US features of patients with breast cancer. Cancers. 2022 ;14(11):2759.
19. Jin TY, Park KS, Nam SE, Yoo YB, Park WS, Yun IJ. BRCA1/2 serves as a biomarker for poor prognosis in breast carcinoma. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022;23(7):3754.
20. Antunes Meireles P, Fragoso S, Duarte T, Santos S, Bexiga C, Nejo P, Luís A, Mira B, Miguel I, Rodrigues P, Vaz F. Comparing Prognosis for BRCA1, BRCA2, and Non-BRCA Breast Cancer. Cancers. 2023 ;15(23):5699.
21. Boghosian T, McCuaig JM, Carlsson L, Metcalfe KA. Psychosocial interventions for women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation: a scoping review. Cancers. 2021;13(7):1486.
22. Miklikova S, Trnkova L, Plava J, Bohac M, Kuniakova M, Cihova M. The role of BRCA1/2-mutated tumor microenvironment in breast cancer. Cancers. 2021;13(3):575.
23. Obeagu EI, Obeagu GU. BRCA Mastery: Redefining Breast Cancer Care through Cuttingedge Diagnosis and Management. Elite Journal of Medicine. 2024;2(2):55-66.
24. Morganti S, Marra A, De Angelis C, Toss A, Licata L, Giugliano F, Salimbeni BT, Giachetti PP, Esposito A, Giordano A, Bianchini G. PARP inhibitors for breast cancer treatment: a review. JAMA oncology. 2024.
25. Fanale D, Pivetti A, Cancelliere D, Spera A, Bono M, Fiorino A, Pedone E, Barraco N, Brando C, Perez A, Guarneri MF. BRCA1/2 variants of unknown significance in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome: looking for the hidden meaning. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 2022;172:103626.
26. Tawfik SM, Elhosseiny AA, Galal AA, William MB, Qansuwa E, Elbaz RM, Salama M. Health inequity in genomic personalized medicine in underrepresented populations: a look at the current evidence. Functional & Integrative Genomics. 2023 ;23(1):54.
27. Royfman R, Whiteley E, Noe O, Morand S, Creeden J, Stanbery L, Hamouda D, Nemunaitis J. BRCA1/2 signaling and homologous recombination deficiency in breast and ovarian cancer. Future Oncology. 2021;17(21):2817-30.
28. Liu X, Luo B, Wu X, Tang Z. Cuproptosis and cuproptosis-related genes: Emerging potential therapeutic targets in breast cancer. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Reviews on Cancer. 2023 ;1878(6):189013.
29. Dibble KE, Donorfio LK, Britner PA, Bellizzi KM. Perceptions and care recommendations from previvors: qualitative analysis of female BRCA1/2 mutation carriers’ experience with genetic testing and counseling. Gynecologic oncology reports. 2022 ;41:100989.
30. Petrova D, Cruz M, Sánchez MJ. BRCA1/2 testing for genetic susceptibility to cancer after 25 years: a scoping review and a primer on ethical implications. The Breast. 2022 ;61:66-76.

Most read articles by the same author(s)