Prof Paul Harkin

Prof Paul Harkin

Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology
Queen's University
Belfast

Understanding more about the BRCA1 gene

Professor Paul Harkin is Professor of Molecular Oncology at Queen's University Belfast. He is investigating the function of an important gene called BRCA1. Faults in this gene cause some inherited breast cancers. The gene is also often found to be damaged in breast cancers that occur by chance. Understanding more about how BRCA1 works may help scientists to design better cancer treatments.

Scientists have shown that BRCA1 performs many different jobs in our cells. Professor Harkin is particularly interested in is its ability to switch the production of certain proteins on or off. High levels of particular proteins are seen both in inherited BRCA1-linked breast cancers, and in rare, non-inherited breast cancers called 'basal' breast cancers.

Professor Harkin and his team are currently looking at whether BRCA1 can alter the production of these proteins and, in turn, trigger the development of cancer. Understanding which proteins are affected by BRCA1 could help scientists in designing new cancer treatments. This is vital because both the inherited BRCA1-linked cancers, and basal breast cancers, are often difficult to treat.

The Belfast team has already identified some of the proteins switched on or off by BRCA1 in inherited breast cancer. They have also shown that BRCA1 sometimes works with another gene, called c-myc, to affect protein production. They are currently trying to find out more about how these two genes work together.

BRCA1 and response to chemotherapy

Professor Harkin's team has discovered that faulty BRCA1 affects the way breast cancer cells respond to chemotherapy. Testing tumours to see if BRCA1 is working properly could be a powerful way to help doctors decide which type of chemotherapy to give a particular patient.

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