The role of p53/p73 family members in the cytotoxic response

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Toxic insult arising from environmental, occupational or therapeutic exposure, is a primary cause of disease and the treatment of these disorders has significant medical, social and economic implications for the UK population. The p53 family of proteins (p53, p63 and p73) is considered as a master regulator in vertebrates, and pathways that it controls range from developmental and homeostatic functions to the remarkable role in cancer. In particular, a predominant aspect of p53 family function in tumourigenesis is the ability to control the cellular stress response. This represents a pivotal aspect in the response to toxic insult.The overall aim of the Laboratory is to understand the fundamental mechanisms of cellular and tissue response to injury caused by drugs, chemicals and endogenous molecules, e.g. free radicals. Therefore, using both genetically modified mouse model and high throughput analysis, we aim to investigate:1) How environmental exposure drives tumour progression;2) How these transcription factors regulate the response to toxic insult;Moreover, we are dedicated to the development of chemicals compounds that can regulate expression and function of the p53 family members. This could have potential therapeutic applications.