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p53
- Author
- Sue Armstrong
- Narrator
- Stephanie Beattie
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 12 March 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 31 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
The BMA Medical Book Award-shortlisted story of the search for p53 - the most important gene in medicine.
All of us have lurking in our DNA a most remarkable gene, which has a crucial job – it protects us from cancer. Known simply as p53, this gene constantly scans our cells to ensure that they grow and divide without mishap. If a cell makes a mistake in copying its DNA during the process of division, p53 stops it in its tracks, summoning a repair team before allowing the cell to carry on dividing. If the mistake is irreparable and the rogue cell threatens to grow out of control, p53 commands the cell to commit suicide. Cancer cannot develop unless p53 itself is damaged or prevented from functioning normally.
This book tells the story of medical science’s mission to unravel the mysteries of this crucial gene, and to get to the heart of what happens in our cells when they turn cancerous, highlighting the tremendous recent advances made in our understanding of cancer.
Critics Review
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More than any textbook, article, or lecture could, this book offers a sip of contagious enthusiasm and a conviction that scientists will eventually “crack the cancer code"
Science
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Armstrong’s book is genuinely engrossing on many levels, and the story is very well told. It has considerable depth, yet sufficient clarity to be able to reach a wide audience ... a highly readable, well-written and crafted book.
Cell
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A succinct, accessible study of humanity's genetic bulwark against cancer.
Nature
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One of the best accounts I’ve read of how science is actually performed.
The Guardian
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Armstrong paints a very human picture ... Not only does Armstrong make p53 understandable but she also sheds light on the scientific method. In an age of government austerity, highlighting the importance of scientific research is also a gift.
The Lancet
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Ms. Armstrong¹s book comes alive in the sections where she explores cancer¹s human toll, including the devastating experience of families with rare genetic mutations, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which leaves children of parents with a faulty gene vulnerable to cancer at almost any age. She also captures the excitement of researchers as they come upon eureka moments.
Wall Street Journal
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Sue Armstrong
- Narrator
- Stephanie Beattie
- Duration
- 9 hours 31 minutes
- Release Date
- 12 March 2026
- ISBN
- 9781399431408
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Popular science, Medical genetics, Oncology, Medical research, History of medicine
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents P53: The Gene that cracked the cancer code by Sue Armstrong, read by Stephanie BeattieThe BMA Medical Book Award-shortlisted story of the search for p53 - the most important gene in medicine. All of us have lurking in our DNA a most remarkable gene, which has a crucial job – it protects us from cancer. Known simply as p53, this gene constantly scans our cells to ensure that they grow and divide without mishap. If a cell makes a mistake in copying its DNA during the process of division, p53 stops it in its tracks, summoning a repair team before allowing the cell to carry on dividing. If the mistake is irreparable and the rogue cell threatens to grow out of control, p53 commands the cell to commit suicide. Cancer cannot develop unless p53 itself is damaged or prevented from functioning normally. This book tells the story of medical science’s mission to unravel the mysteries of this crucial gene, and to get to the heart of what happens in our cells when they turn cancerous, highlighting the tremendous recent advances made in our understanding of cancer.
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