The effect of loss of Brca1 on the sensitivity to anticancer agents in p53-deficient cells.

BRCA1 is implicated in cellular responses to DNA damage, thereby substantially contributing to maintenance of the genome integrity. Mutations in the BRCA1 gene occur in breast and ovarian cancer and mutations that disable p53 are frequently found in human cancers, often accompanied by mutations in additional genes, contributing to tumor progression or high-grade malignancy. Therefore, the role of BRCA1 in the sensitivity to anticancer agents in p53-deficient cells was investigated using p53-deficient mouse knockout cell lines either deficient or proficient in Brca1 function.