It's undoubtedly a major clinical breakthrough! The existence of a DNA code that causes breast cancer was known for years, but now scientists have discovered how that faulty gene triggers the disease in women.
The researchers have carried out a study and found the faults in a known tumour suppressor gene, called PTEN, that is a result of the failed DNA repair in a breast cell containing the mutant gene BRCA1, The Daily Telegraph reported on Monday.
One of BRCA1's role in cells is to promote the repair of damaged DNA, so when it is damaged or faulty, it can make cells grow out of control, which is the basis of 'basal-like breast cancer tumours' in women.
"These findings are exciting because ever since the link was established between BRCA1 and breast cancer more than ten years ago, we have been frustrated by our lack of understanding how mutations in this gene cause breast cancer," said lead researcher Dr Ramon Parsons.
"We have been stymied by our limited resources to treat these cancers, which are associated with very poor prognoses. Now that we know that PTEN is involved, we finally have a target for therapy for these cancers," said Dr Parsons.
In fact, Dr Parsons of Columbia University Medical Centre in New York and his fellow researchers came to the conclusion based on preliminary work in mice. The results of the study have been published in Nature Genetics journal.
Dr Parsons said drugs that could replace the missing PTEN might offer an effective way to treat the disease. "This is a very important finding," he said, which will lead to new treatments.
