[New transcription factor-based cancer therapy. Gene therapy, cell lysis, reactivation of p53 are the new approaches].
The p53 protein is a transcription factor that triggers cell cycle arrest and cell death (apoptosis) in response to certain types of cellular stress, including DNA damage. Human tumours carry p53 mutation in about 50 per cent of cases. Rapid advances in recent years have opened up the possibility of new p53-based approaches to cancer therapy. In a gene therapy approach, the insertion of an intact p53 gene in tumour cells carrying mutant p53 has been shown to result in tumour regression in lung cancer patients. A mutant adenovirus has been shown to kill tumour cells carrying mutant p53 or lacking p53, but not to affect normal cells. Moreover, it may be possible to restore the normal function of mutant p53 proteins by using small p53-activating molecules and thus inducing p53-dependent apoptosis in tumour cells.
Wiman
K G
KG
Mikrobiologiskt och tumörbiologiskt centrum (MTC), Karolinska institutet, Stockholm. klas.wiman@mtc.ki.se
D017209:Apoptosis; D004249:DNA Damage; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009365:Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics*
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53