p53 Gene May Help Fight Tumors
Drug developers have long wondered whether p53, one of the most commonly mutated genes in cancer, would make a good target for cancer therapies. Three new studies in mice suggest that it might.
The gene normally helps suppress tumors, and many cancer patients are thought to acquire p53 mutations relatively early in the disease. It has not been known whether these mutations also contribute to cancer later on, once tumors have been established. Read more
Guest Update by Dr. Dinah Singer
Breast Premalignancy Research Bolstered by Database on Healthy Tissue
Developing a better understanding of the healthy breast is critical to our efforts to identify biomarkers and other diagnostic and therapeutic tools for use against early breast cancer. At last week's steering committee meeting of the NCI Breast Cancer Stamp Premalignancy Research Program, we heard about a new program that addresses the key issue of our limited understanding of the biology and normal developmental genetics of the mammary gland.
The "Friends for Life" project is an effort of the Indiana University (IU) Breast Program, the Catherine Peachey Fund, Inc., and the IU Cancer Center to create a collection of voluntarily donated breast tissue, blood, and macromolecules derived from blood and saliva of healthy donors. The undertaking is a collaboration among consumer advocates, clinicians, basic scientists, and volunteers. "Friends for Life" was created in response to a need articulated by scientists carrying out breast cancer research - in order to better understand what is abnormal in breast cancer, the breast's normal state needs to be more clearly defined. Read more