22 Dec 2022

Possible gene alteration to reduce breast cancer risk found

From Morning Report, 7:45 am on 22 December 2022

Researchers at Otago University believe they've discovered a gene alteration that could reduce the risk of breast cancer.

It could have a significant impact on those who inherit the BRCA-1 gene mutation, which puts them at far higher risk of breast cancer.

By essentially turning off a specific gene, researchers found cells grew more slowly and were more resistant to DNA damage.

Associate Professor Logan Walker led the research.

He spoke to Charlotte Cook.