There is a cancer-fighting protein in the body that you probably don't know anything about. Called the p53 protein, it has been studied extensively by cancer researchers because of its ability to fight cancer. A lack of p53 in the body is correlated with an increase in cancer because the body isn't fighting off the tumors. (You can learn more about this here.)
Okay, so what does this have to do with infertility?
Approximately a year ago, researchers discovered that there was a link between the p53 protein and infertility problems in women. At that time, the link wasn't understood. Additional research has now been completed which helps researchers to better understand this link. It has been determined that a lack of the p53 protein in the body could contribute to problems with infertility. This is due basically to the fact that p53 regulates a gene which is linked with embryo implantation.
Just like cancer researchers have used their information to further study how p53 can be used to assist patients with cancer, fertility specialists can now utilize this information to do further research into how p53 may be used in treating infertility. This information will be important for women who have infertility problems related to failure of the embryo to implant.
Question of the Day: What other relationships between cancer and infertility have you come across?
