Tumor suppressor protein (TSP)

Tumor suppressor proteins are a broad group of molecules encoded by tumor suppressor genes that restrain cell growth, promote apoptosis, repair DNA, and maintain genomic stability. These proteins function through a wide range of mechanisms, including acting as transcription factors, cell cycle regulators, checkpoint proteins, DNA repair enzymes, and inhibitors of signaling pathways. Their main biological role is to suppress tumor formation, and loss-of-function mutations in tumor suppressor genes are a common feature in many cancers. Tumor suppressor proteins can serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and some are targets for therapeutic intervention, mainly in strategies that restore or mimic their function. Notable examples include p53, Rb, PTEN, and BRCA1/2.

Other names

tumor suppressorsTSG protein (from "tumor suppressor gene protein")anti-oncogenes

Restoring wild-type function of mutated or deleted tumor suppressor proteins (e.g., p53 reactivation); Inhibiting upstream negative regulators (e.g., MDM2 inhibition to free p53); Synthetic lethality (e.g., PARP inhibition in BRCA1/2 loss).