Adenovirus-mediated transfer of the p53 family genes, p73 and p51/p63 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in colorectal cancer cell lines: potential application to gene therapy of colorectal cancer
Y. Sasaki et al., Adenovirus-mediated transfer of the p53 family genes, p73 and p51/p63 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in colorectal cancer cell lines: potential application to gene therapy of colorectal cancer, GENE THER, 8(18), 2001, pp. 1401-1408
p53 gene therapy is being tested clinically for the treatment of human canc
er, however, some cancer models (in vivo and in vitro) are resistant to p53
. To explore the potential use of two p53 homologues, p73 and p51/p63, in c
ancer gene therapy, we introduced p53, p73 and p51/p63 into colorectal canc
er cell lines via adenoviral vectors, and compared their effects on cell gr
owth. Among 10 cell lines tested, six cell lines displayed a similar respon
se following transduction of p53, p73 beta or p51A/p63 gamma; two lines und
erwent cell-cycle arrest, three lines exhibited apoptosis and one line show
ed no-effect following transduction. The effect on cell-cycle progression w
as variable in the other four cell lines. Interestingly, three cell lines w
ere resistant to p53-mediated apoptosis, including two lines having endogen
ous wild-type p53 alleles, but underwent apoptosis after transduction of p7
3 beta or p51A/p63 gamma. Similar to p53, transduction of p51A/p63 gamma in
duced extensive apoptosis when combined with adriamycin or X-radiation in S
W480 cells, which are normally resistant to apoptosis. Transduction of p73
beta and p51A/p63 gamma also reduced the tumorigenicity of two colorectal c
ancer cells in vivo. These results suggest that adenovirus-mediated p73 bet
a and p51A/p63 gamma transfer are potential novel approaches for the treatm
ent of human cancers, particularly for tumors that are resistant to p53 gen
e therapy.