Abstract

It has been over a decade since mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 were found to be associated with a small number of familial breast cancer cases. BRCA1 is a large protein that interacts with many other proteins that have diverse functions, so it has been a challenge to determine how defects in its function could lead to cancer. One particular protein, BARD1, seems to be an important regulator of the tumour-suppressor function of BRCA1, as well as acting as a tumour suppressor itself. BARD1 is indispensable for cell viability, so loss-of-function mutations are rare, but mutations and truncations that alter its function might be involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer.

Author affiliations

1. Biology of Aging Laboratory, Department of Geriatrics and Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University and University Hospitals, 30, Bloulevard de la Cluse, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland.

Correspondence to: Irmgard Irminger-Finger¹ Email: irmgard.irminger@medecine.unige.ch

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