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The Cutting Edge

Protein that Helps Suppress Cancer Fades as We Age

  Prevalence of p53 in the Oral Tissue of Six Individuals
  Dark brown staining indicates the prevalence of p53 in the oral tissue of six individuals, ranging from age 28 (upper left) to 74 (lower right).
Image: Dr. Reuben Kim

Researchers at UCLA have found that a protein that serves as a suppressor of cancer diminishes in skin and mouth epithelial cells as the human body ages. No-Hee Park, DMD, PhD, dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry, and his research team have been studying p53, a tumor-suppressor protein known as “the guardian of the genome” because of its involvement in DNA repair, cell cycle regulation and cellular deterioration.

“Looking at ways to maintain levels of p53 as one ages may provide a therapeutic clue to preventing cancer development,” says Dr. Park, who is also a distinguished professor in the departments of dentistry and medicine at UCLA.

Previous studies have shown that p53 accumulates in large quantities as connective tissue cells, called fibroblasts, age and stop dividing. It has been believed that the accumulation of p53 causes cells to stop dividing, which prevents out-of-control cells from growing into tumors.

The researchers found that in epithelial cells lining the skin and the mouth, the level of p53 is reduced rather than enhanced when cells age. Epithelial cells line the major cavities of the body, including most organs, such as the mouth, stomach, small intestine, kidney and pancreas. These cells have a set level of p53 that provides protection from environmental factors and ensures their wellbeing. With less p53, older epithelial cells have a harder time maintaining the integrity of their genetic material when they encounter carcinogens, which allows cancer to develop.

Dr. Park and his team also reported that in humans, the level of p53 in skin and mouth epithelial cells decreased with age by epigenetic (external and environmental) factors, not by the changes of the p53 DNA sequence. Because some 90 percent of human cancers originate from epithelial cells, this may account, the researchers suggest, for increased incidence of skin and oral cancers in elderly patients.

“Regulation of p53 during Senescence in Normal Human Keratinocytes,” Aging Cell, July 2015


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IN THIS ISSUE
  • We Are the World
  • Camp Leg Power Propels Kids with Cerebral Palsy Forward
  • Portable Finger Probe Measures Liver Function in Potential Donors
  • Stem-cell Therapy Holds Promise for Eliminating HIV Infection
  • REM Sleep Helps Brain Capture Snapshots of Dream Images
  • Germline Cells Shown to be Vulnerable during Pregnancy
  • New Study Opens Window on Mutations in Genetic Architecture of Schizophrenics
  • How Molecular Rules Govern Autoimmune Disorders
  • Predicting Response to Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
  • Why Children’s Recovery Times Vary after Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Potentially Effective Treatment for Meth Addiction
  • Protein that Helps Suppress Cancer Fades as We Age
  • Patient First to Bridge from Experimental Total Artificial Heart to Transplant
  • UCLA Community Based Learning: Bridging the Transition from Youth to Adulthood
  • Get Social
  • The End of Darkness
  • Medicine 2.0
  • White Knight
  • Awards, Honors & Grants
  • In Memoriam
  • Postcard from Malawi
  • In Her Own Words: Lynn L. Huang, MD ’07
  • The Business of Medical Innovation
  • Tribute to a Mentor and Friend
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  • Landmark Gift Paves the Way for Breakthroughs
  • The UCLA Today’s and Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund Names New Awardees
  • Golden Portal Fundraiser Joins Movies, Medicine and Technology
  • Widening the Circle of Giving
  • UCLA Names Landmark New Medical-Education Building Geffen Hall
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  • Good Afternoon, Mrs. Gates
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