P53 response to ultrasound

Mutated p53 can be found in approximately half of all human cancers. Strategies which seek to restore, or at least exercise a level of external control over, p53 functionality are thus potentially useful as adjuncts to therapy. Here, we report our preliminary measurements in this area, and demonstrate that short-burst pulsed ultrasound can indeed affect p53 activity. Specifically, we have observed that expression of the p53 protein can be regulated in the period immediately following low intensity short pulse (millisecond) ultrasound exposure, and that altered activity levels return to basal levels over a 24 hour period post-insonation. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.