Efficacy of Evista in the Prevention of Breast Cancer

BRCA1 is a human gene is expressed in breast cells and play the role of repairing damaged DNA, or its destruction if no repair is attained (Wong-Brown et al., 2015). A mutation in the gene results in damaged DNA which increases the chances of an individual suffering from breast cancer (Mersch et al., 2015). The severity of the condition has seen the development of different classes of drugs which help in the prevention (Langston et al., 1996). The drug which has been approved as a preventive regimen is Evista (Raloxifene hydrochloride) (Cauley et al., 2004). Despite the adverse effects of the condition, patients are still not able to get the most effective drug. There is need to understand if the drug, Evista can actually prevent progression of breast cancer. Further, the fact that there are numerous drugs in the market establishes the need to understand its level of efficacy with regard to the overall prevention of the disease.

Hypothesis

Evista is not effective in the prevention of breast cancer.

Objectives

General Objective

To express BRCA1 proteins and test them against the drug Evista.

Specific Objectives

1. To generate constructs of the gene BRCA1

2. To produce recombinant proteins of BRCA1

3. To test the drug Evista against tissues with breast cancer

Aims

To evaluate if the drug Evista can actually serve as a preventive regimen against the progression of breast cancer in isolated tissues

To show the level of efficacy of prevention on progression of breast cancer.

Proposed Methods

The molecular methods will be adopted to help in answering the question. The first approach would entail the retrieval of genomic DNA which codes for the mutated BRCA1 gene (Martino et al., 2004). This will be digested to form total RNA that would then be converted to mRNA. The mRNA will then be used in the formation of complementary DNA that would be subjected to amplification. The product will be excised and purified for cloning into plasmids and then transformation into the bacterial cells for protein expression in appropriate media for growth. The proteins will then be confirmed by various ways including western blot. The protein antigens will then be injected to tissues in vitro and the drug tested to check for the response. The ability of the drug to prevent the progression of the disease will be assessed by measuring the level of metastasis which is reported. The effect of the protein will then be evaluated in tandem with the presence of the drug. This will provide information as to whether or not the drug is working effectively in preventing the progression of the disease in eukaryotic cells.

Strategy

The nature of the experiment establishes the need to seek for approval. However, it is essential to understanding that since it is a proposal, various sections would have to be modified. The findings of the study would be instrumental in providing more information regarding the overall effectiveness of the drug in the prevention of breast cancer.

Conclusion

Breast cancer is a disease of fundamental health concern. A significant percentage of women have been victims of the disease. The current drugs in the market should be tested for their effectiveness and ability to prevent the adverse outcomes it is associated with. Despite their availability, it is vital to assess the level of efficacy and determine if they actually prevent the progression of the disease. In general, the study will provide information regarding the drug.

References

Cauley, J. A., Martino, S., Barrett-Connor, E., Powles, T. J., Mershon, J. L., Disch, D., ... & Cummings, S. R. (2004). Effect of raloxifene on invasive breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women stratified by Gail risk assessment: results of the Continuing Outcomes Relevant to Evista (CORE) trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 22(14_suppl), 1018-1018.

Langston, A. A., Malone, K. E., Thompson, J. D., Daling, J. R., & Ostrander, E. A. (1996). BRCA1 mutations in a population-based sample of young women with breast cancer. New England Journal of Medicine, 334(3), 137-142.

Martino, S., Cauley, J. A., Barrett-Connor, E., Powles, T. J., Mershon, J., Disch, D., ... & Cummings, S. R. (2004). Continuing outcomes relevant to Evista: breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal osteoporotic women in a randomized trial of raloxifene. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 96(23), 1751-1761.

Mersch, J., Jackson, M. A., Park, M., Nebgen, D., Peterson, S. K., Singletary, C., ... & Litton, J. K. (2015). Cancers associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations other than breast and ovarian. Cancer, 121(2), 269-275.

Wong-Brown, M. W., Meldrum, C. J., Carpenter, J. E., Clarke, C. L., Narod, S. A., Jakubowska, A., ... & Scott, R. J. (2015). Prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Breast cancer research and treatment, 150(1), 71-80.