Anti-Progesterone in Breast Cancer Chemoprevention

Background

BRCA1 is a breast cancer susceptibility gene. According to estimates of lifetime risk, 36 to 85 percent of women with an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene will develop breast cancer.

Technology Description

Treatment with anti-progesterone, mifepristone, prevents tumorigenesis in mice carrying mutated Brca1/p53 alleles.

Anti-progesterone pellet containing 30mg/60 days constant release mifepristone (RU486), or placebo pellet was implanted into twelve 3- and two 4- month-old mice. Mice were monitored weekly for tumor formation. All control mice or placebo pellet treated mice developed palpable tumors. In the RU486 treated group no palpable tumors were detected.

The invention is published in Science 1 December 2006 314: 1467-1470

Applications

Treatment of BRCA1 mediated breast cancer

Patent Status