The study looked at different parts of a protein called p53 to understand how it suppresses cell growth and prevents cancer. They found that most of p53 is needed to stop cells from growing out of control. A specific region of p53, amino acids 320-360, was crucial for its ability to transform cells. Additionally, the ability of p53 to activate certain genes was important for its cancer-fighting function. If p53 couldn't activate genes, it couldn't stop cells from becoming cancerous.