A degradative detour for mutant TP53

Abstract

Accumulation of mutant TP53 proteins in cancer cells has been recognized as an important factor that promotes cancer progression and metastasis. Thus, strategies that promote the degradation of mutant TP53 might be beneficial for the treatment of cancers. In a recent issue of Genes & Development, we demonstrated that blocking macroautophagy under nutritional stress condition leads to the degradation of mutant TP53 through activating the chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) pathway in nonproliferating cancer cells. We propose CMA as a new degradative mechanism for mutant TP53 and the possibility of activating CMA as a new treatment for cancers with mutant TP53. © 2013 Landes Bioscience.