Breakthrough: The Race to Find the Breast Cancer Gene

In 1970, after a 15-year search, University of California geneticist Mary-Claire King proved the existence of a gene, called BRCA1, that if damaged can predispose women to breast and ovarian cancer. Four years later, the actual gene was isolated by University of Utah researcher Mark Skolnick-who used Mormon families' genealogies to pinpoint his prey, working in collaboration with geneticist Roger Wiseman's small, government-funded North Carolina laboratory. Another key player in this competitive race was Francis Collins, director of the U.S. Genome Project. As the authors note, screening tests to identify women who have inherited faulty copies of BRCA1 are presently offered almost exclusively in a research-only context; nor is this the only gene that can predispose women to breast or ovarian cancer. Nevertheless, Davies, editor of Nature Genetics, and White, a biographer of Stephen Hawking, believe that BRCA1 can provide a breakthrough in the search for a cure, and their report is top-notch science writing. (Feb.)