Murine double minute clone 2 (MDM2) is a p53-interacting protein; overexpression of MDM2 suppresses the tumour-suppressor p53, thus having potential as a prognostic indicator of cancer, though its prognosis tends to be variable as it may interact with other factors. In this study, Kim and colleagues used RNA interference to show that, in breast cancer cell lines, MDM2 enhances 17B-estradiol-dependent growth and transactivation. Overexpression of MDM2 also coactivated estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and ERalpha/SP1, enhancing ERalpha-mediated gene expression, due to direct interactions of MDM2 with ERalpha. MDM2 thus plays a critical role in hormone-induced gene expression and growth of ER-positive breast cancer cells leading to the notion that inhibitors of MDM2 have therapeutic potential. Kim et al. (2011) Journal of Molecular Endocrinology 46 67–79

Read the full article at DOI:10.1677/JME-10-0110.