Kate Heslin

Breast cancer is a major health concern for American women, accounting for one third of all new cancer diagnoses in that demographic each year. This concern is even more pressing for individuals with BRCA mutations: a type of genetic mutation that significantly elevates one’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. BRCA mutations make it more likely for affected carriers to have breast cancer by inhibiting the body from performing regulatory functions that would otherwise prevent tumor growth. It has recently been hypothesized that the breast cancer risk of individuals with these mutations might be further increased by exposure to chemicals with the ability to damage DNA, such as certain commonly used pesticides and herbicides. The work I am doing this upcoming summer will seek to identify whether or not there is a link between exposure to these chemical agents and higher breast cancer risk in BRCA carriers through the use of a stem cell model. Specifically, the Gerhardt lab plans to expose cells from a BRCA mutation positive cell line to an array of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides that have been hypothesized to have harmful effects on DNA. Genomic damage (or lack thereof) that occurs will be assessed using two procedures: DNA Fiber Assay and Single Molecule Analysis of Replicated DNA (S.M.A.R.D.). These techniques visualize DNA replication and will allow us to identify if DNA damage is occurring, the type of damage that is taking place, and the location in the genome that is being damaged. The goal of this work is to provide further insight into the specific genetic mechanisms unique to BRCA mutations and also to collect data that could promote the regulation of the chemicals involved in this study.