"We still don't know why it gets switched on again in certain cancers. Apart from neuroblastomas, we often see it in brain tumours and in melanomas that don't have mutations in P53."

So how exactly does it work?

When a gene is transcribed or "read", in this case P53, a copy of the gene is made in RNA. In a normal cell, that P53 RNA carries the instructions to make P53 proteins, which in turn carry out the tumour suppressor function in cells.

"MicroRNAs act to control the production of proteins - the molecules that do the work in cells," explained Swarbrick.

"In the cancers we are discussing, our microRNA binds with P53 RNA, preventing it from making proteins. That effectively reduces the number of P53 proteins in a cell and allows the tumour to grow."

"Understanding that certain cancers appear to be regulated like this gives us a new avenue to explore in their treatment."

While this finding is at an early research stage, it holds much promise for the future treatment of early childhood neuroblastomas and other microRNA- induced cancers.

Source: Research Australia