Low Li Shan

• MBBS (NUMed Malaysia)
• Investigating the Potential Genotoxic Effects of Ionising Radiation in BRCA1 Heterozygous Mutant Cells

Investigating the Potential Genotoxic Effects of Ionising Radiation in BRCA1 Heterozygous Mutant Cells
X-rays damage our genetic material (DNA) by causing DNA double strand breaks, possibly leading to cancer. Healthy individuals have multiple efficient mechanisms to repair damage to DNA but certain people might have problems repairing DNA damage as they have faulty copies of particular genes in DNA repair. For example, mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes may be associated with defective DNA repair and cause breast and ovarian cancers. This study aims to investigate whether X-rays cause higher levels of DNA damage in cells with faulty copies of BRCA1 than in normal cells. There is a radiobiological concern in BRCA 1 mutant carriers due to increased levels of DNA damage in breast cells after X-rays. Given that breast and ovarian tissues have the highest levels of the hormone oestrogen, the study identified potential roles of oestrogen in causing DNA damage or impairing DNA repair pathways and further investigations are warranted.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Supervisors: Dr Paul Jowsey & Dr Stephanie Meyer (co-supervisor)