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HEREDITAS ›› 2011, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (6): 539-548.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1005.2011.00539

• en •     Next Articles

Recent advances in mutant p53 and novel personalized strategies for cancer therapy

LU Si-Qian, JIA Shu-Ting, LUO Ying   

  1. Lab of Molecular Genetics of Aging and Tumor, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650224, China
  • Received:2010-08-26 Revised:2011-03-17 Online:2011-06-20 Published:2011-06-25
  • Contact: LUO Ying E-mail:luoyingabc@yahoo.com

Abstract: Protein p53 is the most intensively studied tumor suppressor protein. Recent studies keep revealing its new function in metabolism and reproduction. At the same time, it is also found that varieties of p53 mutant gained new function in promoting tumorigenesis. These studies provide the basis for understanding the personalized gain of function of p53 mu-tants and help us searching for the new strategies for reactivation of wild-type p53 and correction of the function of p53 mutants. The personalized treatment targeting different p53 mutants will be the focus for cancer treatment. Here, we reviewed the discovered gain of function of some p53 mutants and the molecular strategies for reactivating wild type p53 function: by use of small molecules or polypeptides to reactivate the wild type function of p53 mutants in tumor cells; by exogenous expression of wild type p53 carried by recombinant adenovirus in tumor cells; and by inhibition the interaction between p53 and mdm2 to stabilize wild type p53 proteins. Further study of variety of p53 point mutations farcilitates de-signing more effectively personalized strategies in the cancer therapy.

Key words: tumor suppressor protein, p53 mutations, personalized strategy, reactivation of mutant p53, cancer therapy