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Widely dubbed ‘the guardian of the genome’, the protein p53 provides important protection against cancer — when it is active, that is. Many malignant cells exhibit p53 dysfunction, and several clinical trials of agents intended to restore p53 to working order are now under way.
After a mixed-up start, it is now understood that most tumours exhibit dysfunction of the protein p53. Restoring its tumour-suppressing properties is no easy task.
Many tumours exhibit dysfunction of the p53 protein, a crucial suppressor of cancer. But, because the cause of this dysfunction varies, so, too, must potential treatments.
The tumour-suppressing protein p53 protects our cells from damage, and its malfunction is associated with a vast array of cancers. There are no drugs to restore p53 function in tumours yet, but several therapies are under development.