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For years in the medical landscape, p53 or what is also called the "guardian genome" has been considered a powerful badet in the fight against cancerous tumors. so much so that p53 has been incorporated into some cancer treatments around the planet.
Nevertheless, a new study highlights a paradox within this human protein and suggests that p53 could be more harmful to the body than one thinks, which would stimulate the growth of cancer cells.
The guardian of the genome
For the uninitiated, p53 is a protein that plays a major role in preventing the appearance of cancer cells in cells damaged by DNA. In short, this human protein retains stability in the body by preventing mutations in the genome.
By breaking down even further, the destructive mutation of DNA generally acts as a precursor to cancer cells. In fact, the p53 protein is mutated in about half of all human cancers. When the body finds damage to the DNA, p53 sounds the alarm to kill the cells, damage to the DNA, hence the term "guardian of the genome".
Medical researchers have been working on a number of drugs currently used in cancer-focused human trials by increasing the number of healthy p53 copies in cells.
The paradox p53
With their recent research published in the January 31 issue of Cancer cell Researchers Jinchul Kim, Lili Yu, Fu Xuemei, Yang Xu and their colleagues have found evidence of the paradoxical behavior of p53.
By observing the "wild" version of p53 or so-called WTp53, the team of researchers has discovered that the protein plays a role in promoting tumors rather than in their fight. The culprit of this problem is the protein called PUMA.
Do not worry, you do not have a big black cat in your cells, but this protein causes some problems. Without being too technical, PUMA is the acronym for the modulator of apoptosis upwardly regulated.
When it is observed, PUMA disrupts the normal functioning of a cell, which stimulates the metabolism of cancer cells.
Yes, during their experience, Xu and his colleagues actually observed that p53 interrupted the initiation of tumors. Nevertheless, as soon as this process has been established, the protein has helped to improve the progression of the tumor. This discovery will certainly force the medical community to rethink the treatments surrounding p53.
As stated in the published paper, "This role of WTp53 can resolve several persistent paradoxes in the biology of p53 and will be determinant for the development of cancer treatment, particularly in the context of highly followed strategies to eliminate human cancer by activating WTp53 . or restore the function of WTp53 on p53 mutants in cancers.
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