BRCA1 is an essential regulator of heart function and survival following myocardial infarction

The tumour suppressor BRCA1 is mutated in familial breast and ovarian cancer. Now, Shukla et al. demonstrate that mice lacking BRCA1 in cardiomyocytes are more sensitive to ischaemia than control mice, and that BRCA1 is elevated in human tissues exposed to ischaemia, suggesting a cardioprotective role for BRCA1.