CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Magen BioSciences, Inc., a specialty dermatology company, today announced the publication of a paper in the March 9, 2007 issue of the journal Cell by its co-founder and board member, David E. Fisher, M.D., Ph.D., that identifies two new functions for an important protein, p53, in the pigmentation of skin. Fisher’s study shows that in addition to its function as a tumor suppressor in other cancers in the body, p53 also plays a key role in prompting the skin to tan in response to ultraviolet light from the sun. By promoting tanning, p53 deters the development of the skin cancer melanoma, which is increasing in incidence faster than any other cancer in the world.
