Functions of p53 in metabolism and invasion.

The p53 protein is an important tumour suppressor that is inactivated in many human cancers. Understanding how p53 is regulated and the downstream consequences of p53 function is helping us to devise novel therapies based on the reactivation of p53. Such approaches may be useful in the treatment of cancer, but a growing understanding of a role for p53 in other conditions suggests that modulation of p53 may have broader applications.