The aberrant p53 protein (review).

According to the current concept of carcinogenesis, neoplastic transformation consists of multistep accumulations of adverse genetic and epigenetic events. Recent advances in molecular genetics have demonstrated aberrations of oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes in a variety of human cancers. The loss of wild-type p53 gene expression has exceptionally been implicated in the development of a wide variety of human cancers and it is generally accepted that p53 is a component in biochemical pathways central to human carcinogenesis. Although the role of the p53 gene in cancer genesis and development has fueled as many questions, study of p53 has come to the forefront of cancer research and detection of its abnormalities during the development of tumors may have diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic implications. To be of value in clinical practice, immunohistochemical assessment of p53 protein should provide clinically relevant information. The degree of concordance between p53 gene mutation and the accumulation of p53 protein cannot be perfect, however, the immunohistochemical assay using anti-p53 antibodies is the most widely applicable approach for detection of tumors in routine investigations, particularly with regard to diagnosis or prognosis.