The p53 tumor suppressor: critical regulator of life & death in cancer

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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53
14:57

Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53

Published on: August 4, 2019

D E Fisher1

  • 1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Apoptosis : an International Journal on Programmed Cell Death
|April 26, 2001
PubMed

Insights

The tumor suppressor protein p53, frequently altered in cancer, regulates cell death and cell cycle arrest. Understanding p53

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The p53 gene is the most frequently mutated or deleted gene in human cancers.
  • Disruption of p53 function has significant consequences, observed in Li-Fraumeni Syndrome and gene knockout models.
  • p53 is known to regulate cell cycle progression and apoptosis in response to cellular stress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the differential regulation of cell death versus cell cycle arrest by p53.
  • To investigate the therapeutic potential of p53's distinct functions in cancer cells versus normal cells.
  • To elucidate the mechanistic basis of p53's tumor suppressive functions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on p53 gene function and cancer.
  • Analysis of p53's role in cell cycle control and apoptosis.
  • Examination of p53 status in relation to cancer prognosis and therapeutic outcomes.

Main Results:

  • p53's decision to induce cell cycle arrest or apoptosis is stress-dependent.
  • p53 can trigger cancer cell death while promoting repair in normal cells, suggesting a therapeutic index.
  • p53 status correlates with prognosis in various human cancers and animal models.

Conclusions:

  • p53 plays a critical role in preventing cancer by regulating cell fate.
  • Targeting p53 pathways may offer new therapeutic strategies for p53-deficient cancers.
  • Further research into p53 mechanisms is crucial for developing effective cancer treatments.

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