Centrosomes in disease: how the same music can sound so different?

Centrosomes are the major microtubule organizing center of animal cells. Centrosomes contribute to timely bipolar spindle assembly during mitosis and participate in the regulation of other processes such as polarity establishment and cell migration. Centrosome numbers are tightly controlled during the cell cycle to ensure that mitosis is initiated with only two centrosomes. Deviations in centrosome number or structure are known to impact cell or tissue homeostasis and can impact different processes as diverse as proliferation, death or disease. Interestingly, defects in centrosome number seem to culminate with common responses, which depend on p53 activation even in different contexts such as development or cancer. p53 is a tumor suppressor gene with essential roles in the maintenance of genetic stability normally stimulated by various cellular stresses. Here, we review current knowledge and discuss how defects in centrosome structure and number can lead to different human pathologies.