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Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BRCA1

BRCA1 (breast cancer 1, early onset) is a human gene that belongs to a class of genes known as tumor suppressor genes. Like many other tumor suppressor genes, BRCA1 regulates the cycle of cell division by keeping cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way. In particular, it inhibits the growth of cells that line the milk ducts in the breast.

The protein made by the BRCA1 gene is directly involved in the repair of damaged DNA. In the nucleus of many types of normal cells, the BRCA1 protein interacts with the protein produced by the RAD51 gene to mend breaks in DNA.

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June 2, 2026

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A major study suggests that some of the groundwork for brain development may be shaped before birth through a surprising partnership between a baby’s genes and gut microbes. Researchers found that ...
A surprising new study suggests that when it comes to pancreatic cancer, the kind of fat you eat may matter more than how much. Researchers found that oleic acid—the main fat in olive oil and several other common foods—sped up tumor growth in ...
A Salk Institute study found that a simple dietary amino acid, methionine, dramatically improved survival in mice facing severe infections and inflammatory conditions. Rather than directly targeting the immune system, methionine boosted kidney ...
A promising new study suggests rheumatoid arthritis may not be as inevitable as once thought for people at high risk. Researchers found that just one year of treatment with the immune-targeting drug abatacept delayed the onset of rheumatoid ...
A long-overlooked organ may hold surprising clues to healthy aging and cancer survival. Researchers at Mass General Brigham used AI to analyze CT scans from tens of thousands of adults and found that people with healthier thymuses—a small ...
Scientists at Scripps Research have uncovered a molecular “switch” that appears to fuel the damaging brain inflammation seen in Alzheimer’s disease. They found that a protein called STING becomes chemically altered in a way that keeps the ...
Melanoma may not become steadily more dangerous with age as scientists once assumed. In a surprising discovery, researchers found that cancer spread was lowest in young mice, surged in middle-aged mice, and then dropped again in very old mice. The ...
Losing weight may involve rewiring the gut and the brain at the same time. In a study of obese adults, an intermittent fasting-style diet led to significant weight loss, healthier metabolic markers, and notable shifts in gut bacteria. Brain scans ...
A new study suggests fish oil may help reduce insulin resistance even in people who aren't obese. In diabetic rats, omega-3 supplementation improved blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and inflammation by shifting immune cells into a more ...
A new study suggests melatonin supplements may help night shift workers boost their body's DNA repair processes, potentially offsetting some of the damage linked to working overnight. The findings ...
A specially formulated tomato-soy juice packed with natural plant compounds may help calm inflammation linked to obesity, according to a new clinical study. Healthy adults with obesity who drank the juice daily for four weeks saw significant ...

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