Fanconi Anemia:
Investigating the Molecular Basis of Childhood Leukemia and Inherited
Breast Cancer Susceptibility
Fanconi anemia (FA) is
a rare disease characterized by birth defects, bone marrow failure, and
pronounced cancer susceptibility. FA arises as a consequence of biallelic
mutations in any one of 13 distinct genes. However, monoallelic mutations
in several of these same genes results in increased risk for developing
early-onset breast cancer. Our laboratory is interested in determining how
the proteins encoded by these genes function in the response to DNA damage
and in the prevention of cancer.
