10 years ago today, at the 6th International Mutant p53 Workshop in Toronto, I showed clear evidence and proposed, for the first time, that p53 is not just a tumor suppressor, but that it is also a proto-oncogene (wild-type)!
The p53 oncogene (mutated) was already well known but it was believed that, unlike all other oncogenes, the p53 oncogene originated directly from a tumor suppressor through neomorphic mutations (mutations by which the altered gene product would in theory acquire novel molecular functions). I showed evidence that wild-type p53 is a proto-oncogene already in its non-mutated state, with pro-oncogenic activity like any other proto-oncogene. These functions are likely to have evolved within the p53 locus in the mammalian genome for millions of years. I proposed that it is this product of evolution, this proto-oncogene, that becomes the over-activated (mutated) p53 oncogene in cancers, similarly to any other oncogene, and that we have to learn more about it so that we can target it to cure this disease. Part of our supporting data on the existence of a p53 proto-oncogene is now available via the servers at EMBO Reports, IJMS and BioRxiv (please consult the links below). MaRCO continues in its efforts to learn more about and to target this new proto-oncogene, which is likely the most mutated proto-oncogene in cancer. Contact areap53lab@gmail.com if you want to support our research.
Our research related to p53 proto-oncogene: 2016, 2022, 2023.
“(p53) is likely the most mutated proto-oncogene in cancer”
10 years have passed since the discovery of the p53 proto-oncogene. Are we closer to a cure for cancer now?
Actually, the main study hasn’t even been accepted for publication yet (part of the results were published in EMBO R. and another part was uploaded to BioRxiv, but most data remain unpublished). With years spent under revision in Nature and other journals, much time is lost. Same for the funding, constant denials from governments and institutions to fund research on p53 proto-oncogene (even though p53 is likely the most mutated proto-oncogene in cancer and should thus be of the highest priority) greatly delay the progress on this critical subject; while old, young and children, keep dying of cancer every day. To support our research of what is likely the most crucial oncogene in our body, please contact areap53lab@gmail.com
What now?
I have decided to upload most of our findings to BioRxiv, so please stay connected! Hopefully other researchers in other parts of the world (and with more funding) will join in our efforts to understand and target this powerful oncogene.
BioRxiv links already available:
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.03.531004v1
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.07.536059v1
Please also read:
https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/embr.201541956
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/24/15844
marco lab 