APOBEC3B is an enzymatic source of mutation in breast cancer

08. 02. 2013 | Cancer Research UK

Genetic errors driving the majority of breast cancers may be caused by a hyperactive enzyme called APOBEC3B, according to US researchers [1].

Image credit: CSIRO, CC BY 3.0, Link

The finding could lead to new ways to diagnose and treat breast cancer, exploiting the root cause of genetic damage - 'DNA editing' by the enzyme - rather than the damage itself.

Under normal circumstances, APOBEC enzymes help repair damaged DNA and protect against viruses like HIV.

But the University of Minnesota researchers showed in a research paper published in Nature that one particular form of APOBEC was found in high levels in breast cancer cells.

Read the whole article at Cancer Research UK

Reference

  1. Burns, M. B., Lackey, L. et al. (2013). APOBEC3B is an enzymatic source of mutation in breast cancer Nature DOI: 10.1038/nature11881

klíčová slova: APOBEC3B, breast cancer