Health
Covenant University Don Records Remarkable Achievement in Cancer Research
A groundbreaking research study led by Professor Solomon Rotimi of the Department of Biochemistry, Covenant University, has been published in the prestigious Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment journal. The paper, titled “Screening of Germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 Variants in Nigerian Breast Cancer Patients,” marks a major stride in locally-driven cancer research in Nigeria.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 45 Nigerian women died daily from breast cancer in 2022—a trend projected to worsen due to various contributing factors. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized cancer research body under WHO, highlights that in Nigeria, breast cancer presents a particularly urgent health challenge. Nigerian women are often diagnosed at younger ages and tend to develop more aggressive forms of the disease, such as triple-negative breast cancer, often without access to early detection or precision treatment options.
Professor Rotimi emphasized that while genetic predispositions and family history are recognized risk factors for breast cancer, little is known about the specific genetic factors influencing the disease in Nigerian women. Genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are known to increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, have been extensively studied in Western populations but remain under-researched in African contexts.
“Where such studies have been conducted in Nigeria, they typically relied heavily on foreign expertise. Our team at Covenant University closed that gap by conducting the first-of-its-kind, fully indigenous study aimed at understanding how variations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes contribute to breast cancer among Nigerian women,” he said.
Using advanced DNA sequencing technology, Professor Rotimi’s team carried out all laboratory processes—ranging from DNA extraction to sequencing and data analysis—within Covenant University’s Cancer Genomics Laboratory, which operates under the Covenant Applied Informatics and Communication Center of Excellence (CApIC-ACE).
Key Findings from the Study Include:
About 7% of breast cancer patients carried harmful mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.
These mutations were identified exclusively in women with triple-negative breast cancer and a family history of the disease. These genes are hereditary and can be passed down to children.
The harmful variants were absent in healthy participants.
The study discovered unique BRCA gene patterns (haplotypes) specific to Nigerian women—patterns rarely observed in other populations.
Several additional BRCA gene variants were found that may not be harmful on their own but could contribute to cancer risk when combined with other factors.
Professor Rotimi described the study as a milestone in African science, proving that complex cancer genomics research can be conducted independently on the continent, without dependency on foreign laboratories.
The findings underscore the need for population-specific genetic testing and early detection tools tailored for Nigerian women. Such measures could significantly improve early identification and intervention for women at higher risk of breast or ovarian cancer.
Furthermore, the study opens the door to genetic counseling and personalized treatment plans, especially for individuals with BRCA-related breast cancers—offering a promising future in precision medicine for Africa.
