Laura Attardi

The gene encoding the p53 transcription factor is the most commonly mutated gene in human cancer, yet we lack a complete understanding of how its loss promotes cancer and how to target this pathway therapeutically. My lab studies p53 in the context of two very deadly and common cancer, pancreatic cancer and lung cancer, to understand how p53 loss promotes tumor initiation and progression. We are investigating not only how p53 mutation changes tumor cells themselves but also how these changes in tumor cells alter the cells of the tumor microenvironment to promote cancer development. We strive to understand p53 function using varied approaches, including mass spectrometry, CRISPR screening, ATAC-sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and in vivo mouse analyses. Using these combined approaches, we are gaining key new insights into the fundamental functions of p53 in vivo, which will ultimately inform us on how to target this critical pathway therapeutically.