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Nature 424, 732-734 (14 August 2003) | doi:10.1038/424732a

Cancer: Protective packaging for DNA

Jessica A. Downs1 & Stephen P. Jackson2

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Histone proteins are best known for their structural role in packaging DNA into a compact form. But it seems that one such protein also works as a tumour suppressor, helping to prevent cancer developing.

Inside every human cell there is an impressive two metres or so of DNA, which must be organized into a compact form to fit into the cell nucleus. To do this, cells begin by wrapping the DNA around histone proteins.