It is well established that cancer is a genetic disease. It is the result of an accumulation of changes (mutations) in genes that control cell division. The actual order in which the mutations occur is not clear. Research from the University of California was able to determine the order of genetic changes in two different cancers (squamous cell carcinomaCancer of epithelial cells, the cells that cover the outside and inside of body surfaces. This is the most common form of cancer. and ovarian cancer). Their results shed new light on the role of the p53A tumor suppressor gene that is mutated in over 50% of cancers of all types. The p53 protein is a transcription factor that controls entry into the cell division cycle. Many signals about the health of a cell are relayed to the p53 protein. This results in a decision by the cell as to whether or not cell division should occur. If the cell is damaged and can not be repaired, the p53 protein is involved in triggering a chain of events that causes the cell to kill itself in a process termed apoptosis. Cells defective for p53 do not have these controls and tend to divide even when conditions are not favorable. Like all tumor suppressors, the p53 gene is normally involved in slowing or monitoring cell division. tumor suppressorA gene that functions in the control of cell division. Tumor suppressors normally work to limit cell division and may be contrasted with oncogenes. geneA stretch of DNA that leads to the production of an RNA. The RNA is produced during the process of transcription. This RNA can be used to guide the formation of a protein via translation or can be used directly in the cell. in cancer development and have important implications on the early detection and diagnosis of cancer.
Top