New cancer cell invasion process discovered.

The p53 protein is a well known and studied tumor suppressor.  The gene is mutated in over 50% of cancers, highlighting its importance in cancer prevention.  A new study has demonstrated a role for p53 in the suppresion of metastasis.

When a group of Israeli researchers inactivated CKIα, a component of the Wnt signaling pathway, the result was an increase in abnormal behavior of colon cells.  When p53 was also inactivated, the cells rapidly became invasive.  The results indicate that p53 is involved in the prevention of metastasis of colon cancer.  The researchers also identified a group of genes that appear to be responsible for the invasion by these cancer cells.