In this video, I describe how a tumour cell may evade cell death by elucidating the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. I describe the biochemistry of caspases and difference between initiator and executioner caspases. I also describe the MDM2-p53 complex and p53 as the guardian of the genome.

Clinically, I make reference to how most advanced cancer cells have biallelic mutations in TP53, leading to loss of intrinsic apoptotic function, which contributes further to genomic instability, which may lead to increased cellular proliferation, tissue invasiveness and metastatic capacity.