Beyond the 'Breast Cancer" Gene (BRCA): Why
Food Is Your Medicine
Posted on:
Friday, June 14th 2013 at 8:00 am
Written By:
Sayer Ji, Founder
Following on the heels of Angelina Jolie's widely celebrated decision to
remove her breasts 'preventively,' few folks truly understand how
important preventing environmental chemical exposures and
incorporating cancer-preventing foods into their diet really is in
reducing the risk of gene-mediated breast cancer.
There is so much fear and misinformation surrounding the so-called 'Breast
Cancer Associated' genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, that it should help to dispel
some prevailing myths by looking at the crucial role that epigenetic factors
play in their expression. Literally 'above' (epi) or 'beyond' the control of the
genes, these factors include environmental chemical exposures, nutrition and
stress, which profoundly affect cancer risk within us all, regardless of what
variant ('mutated' or 'wild')* that we happen to carry within our genomes.
In 2012, a very important study was published in the Journal of Nutritional
Biochemistry that looked at the role a natural compound called resveratrol
may play in preventing the inactivation of the BRCA-1 gene. BRCA-1 is known
as a "caretaker" gene because it is responsible for healing up double-strand
breaks within our DNA. When the BRCA-1 gene is rendered dysfunctional or
becomes inactivated, either through a congenital/germline inheritance of DNA
defects ('mutation') or through chemical exposures, the result is the same:
harm to the DNA repair mechanisms within the affected cells (particularly
breast and ovary; possibly testicular), hence increasing the risk of cancer.
Ironically, while the prevalence of a "bad" inherited BRCA1 variation is actually
quite low relative to the general population (A 2003 study found only 6.6% of
breast cancer patients even have either a BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline
mutation[1]), everyone's BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are susceptible to damage
from environmental chemical exposures, most particularly xenobiotic (nonnatural) chemicals and radiation. This means that instead of looking to a set of
"bad" genes as the primary cause of cancer, we should be looking to avoid
exposing both our "bad" and "good" genes alike to preventable chemical
exposures, as well as avoiding nutrient deficiencies and/or incompatibilities,
which also play a vital role in enabling us to express or silence cancerassociated genes. [For more on why genes don't "cause" disease see: The
Great DNA Data Deficit.]
Natural Compound Prevents Breast Cancer Gene (BRCA1)
Malignancy
The aforementioned resveratrol study is titled "BRCA-1 promoter
hypermethylation and silencing induced by the aromatic hydrocarbon
receptor-ligand TCDD are prevented by resveratrol in MCF-7 Cells."
Quite a mouthful.
Essentially, the BRCA-1 promoter is the gene sequence within the BRCA1 gene
that drives the production of the protein that enables our cells to repair DNA
damage, and when "silenced" (i.e. hypermethylated) via the receptor for
aromatic hydrocarbons (which are primarily xenobiotic petrochemical
compounds), it leads to chromosomal damage within those cells. This study
looked at the role of resveratrol, a natural compound found in grapes, wine,
chocolate, and peanuts, in preventing these chemically-induced changes in
gene methylation, also known as 'gene silencing.'
According to the study:
"The aberrant hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes has been
recognized as a predisposing event in breast carcinogenesis [1]. For example,
BRCA-1 promoter hypermethylation has been linked to loss or silencing of
BRCA-1 expression in sporadic breast tumors [2–7] and the development of
high-grade breast carcinomas [8–10]. Higher incidence (30%–90%) of BRCA-1
hypermethylation has been reported in infiltrating tumors [2,10–12],
suggesting that epigenetic repression of BRCA-1 may accompany the transition
to more invasive phenotypes. Moreover, BRCA-1 promoter methylation was
found to be positively associated with increased mortality among women with
breast cancer [13].
The researchers went on to test resveratrol's ability to prevent BRCA-promoter
inactivation caused by the persistent environmental pollutant 2,3,7,8
tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), which has been linked to birth defects,
cancer, immune suppression, liver damage and endocrine disruption, and has
been found distributed throughout the global food supply, and even in breast
milk.
Resveratrol was found to prevent TCDD- induced suppression of BRCA-1
expression. They discovered that resveratrol was capable of suppressed the
silencing (hypermethylation) of the BRCA-1 promoter, revealing one of several
possible mechanisms for its well-known anti-cancer properties, including
19 studies on GreenMedInfo.com alone on its anti-breast cancer potential.[2]
Resveratrol is only one of a wide range of natural, food-derived compounds
which possess the ability to bind and interact as ligands with the aromatic
hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) within the cells of our body. Curcumin, the
primary polyphenol in the spice turmeric, for instance, has been found to
induce programmed cell death in triple negative breast cancer cells, in
part through modulating BRCA1 protein expression and levels within the
cytoplasm of normal and cancerous cells.
The researchers concluded "The fact that many food constituents possess
ligand properties towards the AhR [57,58] may offer new avenues for the
development of prevention strategies for the prevention of BRCA-1 silencing in
sporadic breast tumors."
This is a fancy way of saying that we can prevent chemically-induced cancers
through including and perhaps increasing the level of phytoactive,
chemopreventive compounds within our diet; and of course, reducing and if
possible eliminating chemical exposures that 'knock out' the BRCA1/BRCA2
gene function in way that leads to cancer. This, and not some gene-based
future drug therapy, is where researchers and medical practitioners should be
'racing' for their long sought-after solution. Remove the cause. Prevent and
cure the disease.
For a list of 249 other natural substances that have experimentally
confirmed anti-breast cancer activity visit our Breast Cancer research
page, as well as our Health Guide: Breast Cancer.
[1] Silvia de Sanjosé, Mélanie Léoné, Victoria Bérez, Angel Izquierdo, Rebeca
Font, Joan M Brunet, Thierry Louat, Loreto Vilardell, Joan Borras, Pau Viladiu, F
Xavier Bosch, Gilbert M Lenoir, Olga M Sinilnikova. Prevalence of BRCA1 and
BRCA2 germline mutations in young breast cancer patients: a
population-based study. Int J Cancer. 2003 Sep 10 ;106(4):588-93. PMID:
12845657
[2] GreenMedInfo.com, Reseveratrol's Anti-Breast Cancer Properties (19
abstracts)
*We looked at the theoretical problems associated with BRCA1/BRCA2mediated disease causation in the article: Did Angelina Jolie Make A Mistake By
Acting On the Gene Theory