p53
noun
\ ˌpē-ˌfif-tē-ˈthrē
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Definition of p53
: a tumor suppressor gene that in an inactivated form tends to be associated with a high risk of certain cancers
Examples of p53 in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet extra copies of p53 are not the elephants’ only source of protection. — Quanta Magazine, "A Zombie Gene Protects Elephants From Cancer," 7 Nov. 2017 Although p53 mutations greatly increase the risk of cancer, the findings are a reason to be cautious and not for full-blown alarm. — Fox News, "Futuristic gene-editing technology may cause cancer," 13 June 2018 However, inhibition of p53 leaves the cell transiently vulnerable to the introduction of chromosomal rearrangements and other tumorigenic mutations. — Sharon Begley, STAT, "Archived chat: last week in CRISPR — cancer, patents, and a dip in the market," 19 June 2018 The reason why that could be a problem is that p53 dysfunction can cause cancer. — Sharon Begley, STAT, "A serious new hurdle for CRISPR: Edited cells might cause cancer, find two studies," 11 June 2018 In 2015, Schiffman found that elephants have 20 copies of a gene called p53, well known for its ability to fix damaged DNA, which can lead to cancer. — NBC News, "Why don't elephants get cancer? New gene study explains," 7 Mar. 2018 The best known is the gene for a protein called p53, which stops cells from reproducing if their DNA is damaged. — The Economist, "A cell among trillionsUnderstanding cancer’s unruly origins helps early diagnosis," 16 Sep. 2017 Studies published in October say elephant DNA holds 20 copies of p53, an important tumor-suppressing gene, compared to only one in the DNA of humans and other mammals. — Alex Brandon, National Geographic, "Ringling Will Retire Circus Elephants Two Years Earlier Than Planned," 11 Jan. 2016 The researchers put human BRAF and P53 genes in every melanocyte, the pigmented skin cells, of the fish. — Gina Kolata, New York Times, "A Single Cell Shines New Light on How Cancers Develop," 28 Jan. 2016These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'p53.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for p53
p53
noun
\ ˌpē-ˌfif-tē-ˈthrē
\
\
Medical Definition of p53
: a tumor suppressor gene that in a defective form tends to be associated with a high risk of certain cancers (as of the colon, lung, and breast)