“…The research team focused on p53 and ATM, two proteins active in cancer that have long been known to play some role in a cancer’s response to chemotherapy. P53 is a tumor suppressor gene that activates repair systems when DNA is damaged and induces apoptosis when damage if irreparable. ATM is known to help regulate p53 and is involved in controlling the cell’s response to DNA damage. Mutations in one or both are often seen in tumor cells.

The new study shows that when both p53 and ATM are abnormal, tumors are highly susceptible to DNA-damaging chemotherapy. Tumors in which ATM is mutated but p53 is not, are highly resistant to chemotherapy. Tumors in which p53 is mutated but ATM is not seem to be less responsive to chemotherapy.

“This is a case where two common markers, when taken together, were very predictive…It didn’t come from looking at patients it came from very basic research.”…” Full Slice

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