TP53 and cancer: Increased PPP activity is a hallmark of many types of cancer, as it plays a crucial role in providing NADPH and nucleotide precursors to sustain cancer cell survival and proliferation.56 In a recent cancer study, p53 was shown to mediate glucose carbon diversion into the PPP, resulting in increased de novo nucleotide production and increased DNA damage repair and survival.43 Similarly, in the present study, we found that the activation of the PPP correlates with decreased levels of DNA damage upon stress stimuli in NRVM and in vivo.