Damon Runyon Researchers

Dr. Guiley [HHMI Fellow] is focusing on the tumor suppressor protein p53, which is inactivated in half of all cancers, making it the most frequently mutated gene in cancer patients. Normally, when DNA is damaged, p53 stops cell division to allow the cell to repair acquired mutations. Without this safety measure, cells continue to divide and become cancerous. Dr. Guiley aims to develop a novel small molecule drug approach to target a common mutation in p53 and restore its function. These studies have the potential to benefit patients with many different types of cancer.