The Impact of the Mutant P53 Protein on Cancer Growth

The article provides a review of a scientific study whose aim was to investigate the role played by the mutant P53 protein in encouraging cancer growth. The article emphasizes that during the early stages of cancer, the TP53 gene, which plays a crucial role in preventing cancer, is inhibited from carrying out its role by the mutant P53 protein.

The article explains that each cell contains two copies of the TP53 gene and in the early stages of cancer, one copy undergoes might mutation. The mutant TP53 gene then binds itself on to the remaining normal gene copy, impeding it from carrying out its cancer protection roles. The article refers to this process as tackling, helping settle a long-running medical debate on the impact of the mutant TP53 gene on the growth of cancer.

The article explains the study finds out the mutant TP53 still leaves a pathway necessary for the normal P53 to encourage the growth of tumours. The implication is that the tumour treatment drugs that seek to block the mutant TP53 are of no clinical benefit. Additionally, the article suggests that new cancer drugs should focus on blocking the mutant TP53 gene since its presence appears to promote cancer development.