'The paradox of the death gene': Stress defense mechanism that saves brain cells revealed

Article excerpt

A research team at DGIST has uncovered how the p53 gene, long known as a tumor suppressor that triggers cell death, paradoxically protects neural stem cells in the brain under chronic stress. Led by Professor Yu Seong-woon, the researchers found that p53 activates autophagy, a cellular cleaning mechanism, rather than cell death pathways when brain stem cells face sustained stress. The discovery, published in the journal Autophagy, challenges the conventional understanding of p53's role and suggests new avenues for treating neurodegenerative diseases and stress-related brain damage.