2014 V Foundation Wine Celebration
Volunteer Grant in Honor of John and Lily Kogan
Changes in the DNA, known as mutations, can arise during cancer and in some cases can also be a cause of cancer. For example, the RAD51 paralogues are proteins that are important for fixing broken DNA. Importantly, individuals with mutations in the RAD51 paralogues are more susceptible to getting cancer, particularly breast and ovarian cancers. The goal of our study is to understand why people who have mutations in the RAD51 paralogues are more likely to get cancer, and if we can, identify novel methods for treating their specific cancers. Our goal is to uncover individualized cancer treatment for these particular tumors so that these patients will have the best outcomes.