the wonders of p53

Researchers have identified a pathway that is elevated in p53-mutated cancers and that points to the potential for using cholesterol-lowering statins to help hold back cancer progression. Studies on 3-D breast cancer cell cultures by a Columbia University-led team found that p53 mutations elevate the cholesterol-synthesizing mevalonate pathway, which has been implicated in multiple aspects of tumorigenesis, including proliferation, survival, invasion, and metastasis. The cancer cells then appear to become dependent on this pathway for their continued survival, cancer phenotype, and invasive properties.