The p53 pathway

The p53 pathway is a complex network of proteins and pathways that act in a coordinated fashion to regulate cell growth, death, and differentiation. The p53 pathway is also known as the tumor suppressor pathway because it is critical in controlling cell growth and maintaining genetic stability.

However, in most human cancers, the TP53 gene is mutated, leading to inactivation of the p53 protein. The p53 protein is a transcription factor encoded by the TP53 gene that acts as a tumor suppressor. In normal cells, p53 is activated in response to various stress signals like DNA damage, oncogene activation, and replication stress.

Activated p53 then promotes the transcription of genes involved in cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, senescence, and apoptosis, thereby preventing the propagation of damaged cells and suppressing tumor growth. Mutant p53 proteins can act as dominant negatives over wild-type p53 or gain novel oncogenic functions that drive cancer progression. Inactivation of p53 allows cancer cells to proliferate uncontrollably, evade apoptosis, and acquire invasive and metastatic properties.

Restoring p53 function is an active area of cancer research and therapy.

Indole-3-carbinol induces apoptosis through p53 and activation of caspase-8 pathway in lung cancer A549 cells {ref}

Deficient zinc through competition with copper causes p53 to misfold, which results in functional loss of transcriptional activity {ref}