But in mice deficient in BRCA1, we found that estrogen plus progesterone has a particularly large effect in stimulating the growth of mammary epithelial cells - an effect much greater than the effects of either hormone used alone. |
We don't know if that is true yet, of course, but it is certainly worth investigating, given our findings. |
We know that one of the functions of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes is to maintain genomic integrity, and to do that, they first have to be able to detect DNA damage and signal to the cell that it is there, and then become involved in repairing it. |