How the p53 protein works in the cell fluid outside the nucleus
Function and regulation of cytoplasmic p53
Researchers are looking at how p53 that stays in the cell cytoplasm controls cell death and recycling, aiming to help people with cancers linked to p53 problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11160698 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Most work on p53 focuses on its role in the nucleus, but this project studies p53 that builds up in the cell cytoplasm and acts without changing gene activity. The team made mice with a changed p53 nuclear‑entry signal (modeled on bat p53) to raise cytoplasmic p53 levels and study effects in a living organism rather than just cells in a dish. They are tracing how cytoplasmic p53 binds partners like LDHB and how that interaction changes lipid metabolism, autophagy, and programmed cell death. Results may point to new molecular steps to target in cancers driven by p53 dysfunction.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers known to involve p53 abnormalities or altered p53 activity would be the most likely eventual beneficiaries of findings from this research.
Not a fit: Patients without cancer or whose tumors are driven by pathways unrelated to p53 are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal new molecular targets to trigger cancer cell death or block tumor survival in cancers involving p53 defects.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory studies have shown cytoplasmic p53 can affect apoptosis and autophagy, but using a bat-like p53 nuclear signal in live mice to probe these effects is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marzluff, William F. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Marzluff, William F.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.