p53 and regulation of tumor metabolism.

The tumor suppressor p53 plays a pre-eminent role in protecting against cancer, through its ability to sense various stresses and in turn invoke anti-proliferative and repair responses. Emerging evidence suggest that p53 is both a central sentinel for metabolic stresses and a master regulator of metabolic fluxes. This newly identified function of p53, along with the ability of p53 to induce senescence, appears to be crucial for the prevention of oncogenic transformation. A better understanding of the reciprocal regulation of p53 and metabolism, as well as p53-mediated connection between metabolism and senescence, may lead to the identification of valuable targets for tumor therapy.