Introduction: Breast cancer is cancer which develops from breast tissue. It can also begin in the cells of the lobules and in other tissues in the breast. Invasive breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread from where it began in the ducts or lobules to surrounding tissue. Breast cancer risk is correlated with high estrogen level. BRCA1 gene mutation increases the risk of hereditary breast/ovarian carcinogenesis. Telomerase can protect telomere shortening. It plays a key role in cancer development. Curcumin is a yellow component in Curcuma longa Linn. and has antioxidant properties. It has a potential role in inhibition of cellular migration or invasion and even metastasis.
Material and methods: A study on the effect of 744ins20 – ter240 BRCA1 mutation at exon 10 on DNA repair function by MTT dye reduction and a study on telomerase inhibition caused by curcumin with the telomerase activity assay and trypan blue exclusion assay were conducted.
Results: The percentages of cell viability in mutant cells were lower than the percentages of cell viability in wild type cells at various H2O2 concentrations (p < 0.05). This mutation caused a DNA repair defect and curcumin could inhibit telomerase function and affected cancer cell progression.
Conclusions: 744ins20 – ter240 BRCA1 mutation is involved in a DNA repair defect. It drives oxidative stress. Cancer development prevention by enhancing antioxidant defenses may be affected by this mutation, and it causes breast/ovarian carcinogenesis. Curcumin can inhibit telomerase function. Antioxidants need to be explored for the prophylaxis and treatment of hereditary and basal-like breast cancers.