By Monica Heger

For all the differences documented between cancers, they share some striking similarities. Around 80% of detected cancer-related mutations are errors in so-called ‘tumor suppressor genes’, and more than half of all cancers have below-normal amounts of the tumor suppressor protein p53. This makes tumor suppressors—and p53 in particular—enticing targets for drug developers. Despite failed attempts in the past, researchers have hope for new variations on this cancer treatment approach.

“There has been a huge amount of interest in therapeutic targeting of p53 for over 15 years,” says Alex Swarbrick at the Garvan Institute in Sydney. For example, in a small subset of cancer cases, the gene producing p53 is inhibited by the protein MDM2, murine double minute 2. A class of drugs called Nutlins, made by the Swiss pharma giant Roche, have shown promise for its ability to block MDM2 and are currently in clinical trials to treat people with tumors in their fat tissue. Meanwhile, several small molecules are being studied for their ability to restore mutant p53 proteins, but results have been mixed.

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Image: Jim Dowdalls, Photo Researchers Inc.