In Brief

Extract

P53 Regulates Cell Energy Pathways

The gene p53, which is frequently mutated in cancer may provide the energy that feeds cancer cells, a new study suggests.

Cancer cells get their energy from a shift in cellular metabolism–by breaking down sugars rather than using oxygen. A team led by Paul M. Hwang, M.D., of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Md., found that p53 regulates a cell's decision to breakdown oxygen more frequently than sugars. When the gene is mutated, as is often seen in cancers, cells may instead break down sugars, which feed cancer cells growth. The scientists suggest p53's role in a cells energy mechanisms may offer insight as to how p53 affects other processes like aging.

The study was published online May 25 in Science .

Women at High-Risk of Breast Cancer May Benefit from MRI Screening

MRI screening for breast cancer may be cost-effective for women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, a study reports.