Given the central role of p53 in cancer, researchers have been exploring ways to target p53 mutations for therapy. Strategies include restoring the normal function of mutant p53, enhancing the activity of wild-type p53, and targeting pathways that are activated due to p53 dysfunction. Some experimental drugs aim to reactivate mutant p53 or mimic its activity, while others focus on exploiting synthetic lethality, where the loss of p53 function makes cancer cells more dependent on alternative survival pathways that can be targeted by drugs.
