A novel biomarker for mutant p53 could help pathologists assessing tumors during surgery

(Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory today report the discovery of a novel cellular biomarker that could make it comparatively easy for cancer surgeons to determine if a patient has a potentially lethal mutation in a protein called p53, the most powerful of the body's natural tumor suppressors and often called 'the guardian of the genome.' The biomarker's identity surprised the team.