Promotion of pancreatic cancer metastasis by mutant p53

The TP53 transcription factor is frequently mutated at later stages of epithelial cancers, indicating a possible role in their invasion and metastasis. Importantly, in most cases rather than a simple loss of function p53 mutation, point mutations of p53 accumulate at the protein level and may have dominant negative functions. This study analyses gene expression differences between mice harbouring p53 mutation who do and do not develop metastasis. Samples were collected from Genetically modified mice of the genotypes indicated in the characteristics. The presence or absence of metastasis was scored and gene expression differences between the two groups measured.