D.P. Lane, S. Benchimol, "p53: Oncogene or anti-oncogene?" Genes & Development, 4:1-8, 1990.
David Lane (Cancer Research Campaign Laboratories, University of Dundee, Scotland): "Cancer is a multistep process involving genetic damage to several separate genes. In the majority of human cancers, including all the major types (breast, lung, colon), damage to the p53 gene occurs. This seems now to be the most common molecular change in human cancer. The mutations are very subtle, usually changing just a single amino acid in the protein. In most human tumor cells, the mutant protein accumulates to high levels because it is more stable than the normal protein. This mutant protein thus provides a target molecule for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
"The cited paper reviewed the p53 field and addressed the critical issue of whether the p53 gene acted only as a suppressor gene or also acted as a dominant oncogene. The article made ...
