Karen Vousden - Overview

Despite the heterogeneity of cancer cells, there are a number of common events that occur in almost all tumours, and therefore represent excellent targets for the design of tumour-specific therapies. Our studies concentrate on p53, a tumour suppressor protein whose normal function is lost in virtually all cancers. p53 prevents malignant development in part by inducing apoptotic cell death in response to oncogenic stress.

The goals of our studies are to understand how p53 induces apoptosis, how this response is regulated, and the mechanisms through which p53 activity is lost during carcinogenesis. Ultimately, we hope to design therapeutic strategies based on reinstating the activity of p53 in tumour cells.