Most Commonly Mutated Cancer Gene May Play Role in Stroke

The gene p53 is the most commonly mutated gene in cancer, dubbed the “guardian of the genome” because it blocks cells with damaged DNA from propagating and eventually becoming cancerous. However, new research led by Ute M. Moll, MD, professor of pathology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and colleagues has revealed a novel role for p53 that goes beyond cancer in the development of ischemic stroke. The researchers have identified an unexpected critical function of p53 in activating necrosis ­– an irreversible form of tissue death that is triggered during oxidative stress and ischemia. The findings now are available in the journal Cell. For more information, click here to read the full release.