Ivano Amelio-The p53 family in the cancer cell response to hypoxia

Presso l’Auditorium CEINGE, il 23 maggio, ore 12.30, Ivano Amelio terrà un seminario dal titolo “The p53 family in the cancer cell response to hypoxia”. Ospita la professoressa Caterina Missero.

Il dott. Amelio è Senior Investigator Scientist presso la MRC (Medical Research Council) Toxicology Unit -University of Cambridge, UK.

Abstract

The tumour suppressor protein p53, cooperated by its family members p63 and p73, has an essential role in the response to toxic injury. Somatic cells largely rely on p53 to overcome genotoxic stress and to maintain genomic integrity. Inactivation of p53 is indeed considered the “point of no return” for genomic instability.

In addition to the canonical p53 control of cell cycle arrest/apoptosis, recent evidence indicates that upon cellular stress p53 coordinates highly diverse processes, such as cellular metabolism, redox homeostasis, and inter-cellular communication and interaction with the external micro‐environment. Hence, p53 is a critical factor in maintaining cellular homeostasis following a wide range of (micro)-environmental insults.

I will discuss the contribution of functional and abnormal p53 family signalling to the cellular response to hypoxia. Our work demonstrated that the p53 family participates to a complex interplay with the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) signalling, influencing shape and function of microenvironment as well as cellular properties. Our data indicate that the p53 family/HIF-1 molecular axis could have major relevance in cancer pathogenesis.