Cockayne syndrome B protein (CSB): linking p53, HIF-1 and p300 to robustness, lifespan, cancer and cell fate decisions.

Our recent data demonstrate that the CSB protein, besides its role in DNA repair, functions also as a master switch factor that can selectively influence the transcription of specific sets of genes, after DNA damage or hypoxia, by influencing the biological functions of p53. It is likely that the CSB protein, by modulating p53 activity after different cellular stresses would re-equilibrate the physiological response towards cell proliferation and survival instead of cell cycle arrest and cell death. Some important implications of these findings are discussed here.