Dr Simon Vincent, Director of Research, Support and Influencing at Breast Cancer Now, said:
“Men and women with a change in one of their BRCA genes are at greater risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. And around 5% of the 55,000 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the UK each year are caused by an inherited altered gene, which includes BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
“It’s therefore hugely exciting that POLQ inhibitors could provide a targeted treatment option for people whose cancer is caused by altered BRCA genes.
"As a targeted treatment, we hope that POLQ inhibitors could be a kinder alternative, with less side effects than current treatment options.
“Drug resistance is a major hurdle that we must tackle to stop women dying from breast cancer, so it's also exciting that POLQ inhibitors offer a hope of overcoming resistance in some cases.
“We hope that future research will confirm that POLQ inhibitors can benefit people with breast cancer in these ways.”