[Advance in researches on BRCA1].

BRCA1 is one of the most important breast cancer susceptibility genes. It plays key roles in DNA damage repair, cell cycle checkpoint regulation, gene transcription chromatin stability, and cell proliferation. In this paper, advance in basic researches on BRCA1 is reviewed, and the role of BRCA1 in cancer development and progression is discussed, that may facilitate potential clinical application of BRCA1.