Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53
Published on: August 4, 2019
Is PML a Tumor Suppressor?
Massimiliano Mazza1, Pier Giuseppe Pelicci
1Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology , Milan , Italy.
Abstract:
The role of the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein has been widely tested in many different contexts, as attested by the hundreds of papers present in the literature. In most of these studies, PML is regarded as a tumor suppressor, a notion on the whole accepted by the scientific community. In this review, we examine how the concept of tumor-suppressor gene has evolved until now and then systematically assess whether this assumption for PML is supported by unambiguous experimental evidence.
Insights
The promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein is often considered a tumor suppressor. This review critically evaluates the experimental evidence supporting PML
Area of Science:
- Molecular biology
- Oncology
- Cellular biology
Background:
- The promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein is frequently studied in various biological contexts.
- PML is widely accepted by the scientific community as a tumor suppressor protein.
- Existing literature extensively documents the role of PML in cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution of the tumor-suppressor gene concept.
- To systematically assess the experimental evidence for PML's tumor-suppressive role.
- To critically examine the established notion of PML as a tumor suppressor.
Main Methods:
- Literature review
- Systematic assessment of experimental data
- Analysis of scientific publications on PML protein function
Main Results:
- The review critically analyzes the existing body of research on PML.
- The evidence supporting PML's tumor-suppressor function is evaluated.
- The study investigates the consistency of experimental findings regarding PML's role.
Conclusions:
- The established view of PML as a tumor suppressor requires rigorous re-evaluation.
- Unambiguous experimental evidence is examined to validate PML's proposed function.
- The review provides a critical perspective on PML's role in cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
Negative Regulator Molecules
