Ellie Park
Class of 2025Scottsdale, Arizona
About
Hello !! My name is Ellie and my Polygence project is on the specific variants of the ABCC11 gene. I wanted to increase my knowledge, not only satisfying my own curiosity but bringing questions and solutions to the scientific world. Being a Korean American with a family history of breast cancer, ABCC11 was a gene that was able to connect the cultural world with the scientific. I hope that by the end of my research I can bring new information, questions, and solutions to the scientific world that can prove to be fruitful and promising to our society.Projects
- "The ABCC11 Gene and its marvelous SNP: Connecting Earwax, Sweat, and Breast Cancer" with mentor Grace (Working project)
Project Portfolio
The ABCC11 Gene and its marvelous SNP: Connecting Earwax, Sweat, and Breast Cancer
Started May 9, 2024
Abstract or project description
Cerumen, or earwax, helps protect the ear canal by trapping debris and microorganisms which also possess antimicrobial properties that help prevent infections. Sudor, or sweat, functions as a thermoregulator maintaining human temperature. Mammary carcinoma, or breast cancer, is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide with an estimated 2.3 million new cases globally. It is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women accounting for over 685,000 deaths around the world. As implausible as it may seem, the same gene that regulates human sweat and earwax is also closely linked with increased risk of breast cancer. The ABCC11 gene encodes the ATP-binding cassette transporter (sub-family C, member 11) protein, which is involved in transporting a variety of molecules across the cellular membrane such as conjugated lipophilic substances. Interestingly, one specific genetic variation of the ABCC11 gene is a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs17822931, which results in two different alleles: 538 G>A (Gly180Arg). The AA allele of this SNP results in the phenotypic expressions of dry earwax, odorless sweat, and a decreased risk of breast cancer. Further investigation into the prevalence of this polymorphism could offer deeper insight into the biomarkers of breast cancer and improve current breast cancer technologies.