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AlphaFold Confidence (pLDDT)
p53
Tumor Suppressor · Master Guardian of the Genome
p53 is the guardian of your genetic code. When your DNA gets damaged, p53 steps in to either fix it or shut the cell down before it can become cancerous. The catch: the same protective shutdown that prevents cancer also contributes to aging – accumulating 'zombie' senescent cells that poison their neighbors. Senolytics work by clearing these p53-arrested cells.
Size
393 amino acids
Complexes
Tetrameric TF
Key pathway
DNA damage response / p53
Controls
Apoptosis · Senescence
Why p53 is Central to Longevity
p53's tumor-suppressive function is indisputable – it monitors the genome for damage and, when damage is too severe to repair, forces the cell into apoptosis or permanent senescence. This is why p53 is mutated in over half of all human cancers. Without functional p53, damaged cells proliferate unchecked.
The aging paradox is that p53 works too well over a lifetime. Senescent cells activated by p53 accumulate in tissues with age, secreting inflammatory cytokines (the SASP) that degrade the surrounding tissue. They also exhaust the stem cell pools needed for tissue regeneration. Senolytics – drugs that clear these cells – are among the most exciting emerging longevity interventions.
The structure shown here was predicted by Google DeepMind's AlphaFold 2 model. Colors indicate prediction confidence (pLDDT score): blue regions are predicted with very high accuracy; orange regions represent flexible or disordered segments where confidence is lower.
Interventions Targeting p53
Sorted by evidence grade
About this structure
This 3D model was generated by AlphaFold 2, developed by Google DeepMind and EMBL-EBI. The structure represents the full-length human p53 protein (UniProt P04637). AlphaFold predictions may differ from experimentally determined structures, particularly in disordered regions. Structure data is provided under CC BY 4.0. alphafold.ebi.ac.uk