The Student Genetic Research Forum (FORMASIGEN) held a GenTalk, which serves as a platform to discuss the results of thesis research conducted at the Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, UGM. This GenTalk took place on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, and featured Syallom Gita Maharani, S.Si. as the speaker, with the topic “Detection of Polymorphisms rs249954 and rs16940342 in the PALB2 Gene in Women with Breast Cancer at Dr. Moewardi Surakarta Regional Hospital ”. The event was conducted through a Zoom meeting and was open to the public, with 32 participants including FORMASIGEN members and several other students from the Faculty of Biology, UGM. The event started at 19:30 WIB and was opened by Muhammad Helmi Fauzan, the Chair of FORMASIGEN 2023.
In this GenTalk, the speaker began by explaining the background of this research. They highlighted that over 80% of breast cancer cases are detected at an advanced stage, making treatment efforts increasingly challenging. This emphasizes the importance of early detection of breast cancer, particularly at the genetic and molecular levels. The PALB2 gene has the potential to cause breast cancer with a moderate risk. PALB2 itself has variants in the form of SNPs rs249954 and rs16940342 that increase the risk of breast cancer in the Asian female population. The research results showed the presence of SNP rs249954 (C>T) in patients with a pathology diagnosis of the Triple Negative subtype and the homozygous TT genotype. Additionally, SNPrs16940342 (A>G) was found in patients with the Luminal B subtype and the homozygous GG genotype.
The event continued with questions from the attendees, leading to engaging discussions. GenTalk concluded with a group photo session. Through GenTalk, it is hoped that information regarding the importance of detecting breast cancer by targeting potential trigger genes can be understood and serve as a reference for generating ideas for research in the field of Genetics.