Structure and Function of the p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene: Clues for Rational Cancer Therapeutic Strategies

The p53 tumor suppressor protein is involved in multiple central cellular processes, including transcription, DNA repair, genomic stability, senescence, cell cycle control, and apoptosis. p53 is functionally inactivated by structural mutations, interaction with viral products, and endogenous cellular mechanisms in the majority of human cancers. This functional inactivation can, in some circumstances, produce resistance to DNA-damaging agents commonly used in cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapeutic approaches. Current research is defining the biochemical pathways through which p53 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Knowledge of these fundamental processes is leading to the identification of molecular targets toward which multimodality cancer therapies, using chemotherapeutic, immunotherapeutic, and gene-therapeutic strategies, can be based.