Scientists from the Wistar Institute show that p53 has newly revealed tumour suppressor functions related to telomeres.

When it comes to genes associated with cancer, none have been studied more extensively than p53, a tumour suppressor gene that serves as the guardian of our genetic information. More than half of all cancers have mutations of p53, meaning that this particular gene must often be suppressed in order for a cancer to grow and spread.

Now, new research from scientists at The Wistar Institute shows that p53 is able to suppress accumulated DNA damage at telomeres. This is the first time this particular function of p53 has ever been described and shows yet another benefit of this vital gene.

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