The antiestrogenic effects of black cohosh on BRCA1 and steroid receptors in breast cancer cells

Background Black cohosh (BC) is an herbal remedy often used by women to treat symptoms associated with menopause. Research has shown that the molecular activity of BC is associated with estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) regulation. Progesterone receptor (PR) expression is found to be consistent with ER expression and mutations in the BRCA1 gene, a tumor-suppressor gene, are known to be responsible for about 40%–45% of hereditary breast cancers.