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BRCA2 Gene Function

BRCA2 DNA Repair Associated

GeneCurated

Overview

BRCA2 is a tumour-suppressor gene that helps load RAD51 onto damaged DNA during homologous recombination. Pathogenic germline variants can increase breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer risk, while loss of the remaining functional copy can create homologous-recombination deficiency in a tumour.

Read the DNA repair and genomic instability topic guide

Molecular Mechanism

Detailed mechanism data is not yet available for BRCA2.

Key Pathways

  • ·Homologous recombination
  • ·DNA double-strand break repair
  • ·Fanconi anaemia pathway

Disease Associations

  • ·Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer
  • ·Prostate cancer predisposition
  • ·Pancreatic cancer predisposition

Research Activity

BRCA2 is an actively studied target: about 75+ clinical trials that mention it are currently recruiting on ClinicalTrials.gov. Trial activity reflects research interest, not proven benefit — designs, endpoints and populations vary widely.

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Common Questions About BRCA2

What does BRCA2 do?

BRCA2 participates in Homologous recombination, DNA double-strand break repair, Fanconi anaemia pathway. BRCA2 is a tumour-suppressor gene that helps load RAD51 onto damaged DNA during homologous recombination. Pathogenic germline variants can increase breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer risk, while loss of the remaining functional copy can create homologous-recombination deficiency in a tumour.

Why is BRCA2 relevant to cancer research?

Its reported relevance includes Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, Prostate cancer predisposition, Pancreatic cancer predisposition. The exact alteration, assay and disease context determine what a result can support.

Answers are based on peer-reviewed literature from PubMed and curated gene databases. Read our complete guide to gene function →