Cancer-Suppressing Gene Tied to Female Fertility

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One expert believes the finding could have clinical implications.

"Some humans show genetic variation in the amount of p53 they can produce and how well some of these variants of p53 function," said Colin Stewart, a principal investigator at the Institute of Medical Biology in Singapore and author of an accompanying editorial in the journal.

One study suggested that some women who have difficulty in getting pregnant tend to have the less efficient form of p53, Stewart noted.

"This may be why they have problems becoming pregnant, because the less efficient form of p53 does not make sufficient amounts of LIF that are necessary to get the embryo to attach to the wall of the uterus," Stewart said.

Drugs are currently being developed that would either improve the way p53 works or block the action of defective forms of p53, Stewart said.

"Some of these drugs may turn out to be useful in helping women conceive by improving the function of p53 in the uterus. Others may turn out to be possible contraceptives by blocking p53's function in the uterus," he added.

More information

For more information on p53, visit the National Center for Biotechnology Information.