The p53 Gene and Cancer
The most famous molecule in cancer research has the unassuming name p53.
It is mutated in about half of all tumors.
p53, a 53-kilodalton protein, was discovered in 1979. Researchers thought that it might play a role in cancer.
Today, p53 is called the guardian of the genome. How can a cancer gene be a guardian?
A depiction of a molecule as a central yellow blob with four gray tails extending from it. About midway along each tail is a large green blob. At the end of each tail is a small red blob.