INABILITY TO INDUCE THE ALTERATION OF TUMORIGENICITY AND CHEMOSENSITIVITY OF P53-NULL HUMAN PANCREATIC-CARCINOMA CELLS AFTER THE TRANSDUCTION OF WILD-TYPE P53 GENE

We investigated the therapeutic benefits of p53 expression by the tran sduction of wild-type p53 gene into p53-null human pancreatic carcinom a cells (AsPC-1). Induction of p21(WAF1/CIP1) protein was observed in p53 gene-transduced AsPC-1 cells, showing the proper function of integ rated p53 gene. However, the cell growth in vitro of-transduced cells was not different from that of parent cells, and the tumor growth of t ransduced cells inoculated into nude mice was unchanged compared with that of wild-type cells. Moreover, the in vitro sensitivity to 4 diffe rent kinds of anticancer agents including cisplatin, etoposide, 5-fluo rouracil and paclitaxel, was not modulated by the expression of wild-t ype p53 gene. Thus, the data presented here suggest that the expressio n of wild-type p53 gene in p53-null tumor cells does not consistently produce the therapeutic effects previously reported.