Are interactions with p63 and p73 involved in mutant p53 gain of oncogenic function?

Although still controversial, the presence of mutant p53 in cancer cells may result in more aggressive tumors and correspondingly worse outcomes. The means by which mutant p53 exerts such pro-oncogenic activity are currently under extensive investigation and different models have been proposed. We focus here on a proposed mechanism by which a subset of tumor-derived p53 mutants physically interact with p53 family members, p63 and p73, and negatively regulate their proapoptotic function. Both cell-based assays and knock-in mice expressing mutant forms of p53 support this model. As more than half of human tumors harbor mutant forms of p53 protein, approaches aimed at disrupting the pathological interactions among p53 family members might be of clinical value.