Abstract
The chemosensitivity of head and neck cancer was evaluated based on the diverse function of mutated-p53. Two human head and neck cancer cell lines harboring mutated p53 gene, HSG (Asn30Ser) and TYS (Asp281His) were used. We transfected the cells with luciferase reporter plasmids containing promoter sequence of p53 target genes (p21waf1 BAX, MDM2). After treating the cells with chemotherapeutic agents, adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin, luciferase activity was measured. In HSG cells, none of the target gene promoters was activated by treatment with the chemotherapeutic agents. However, in TYS cells, p21waf1 promoter was markedly activated by the chemotherapeutic agents. In both cells, Bax promoter was not activated irrespective of treatment with the chemotherapeutic agents. Under DNA damaging stress, TYS-derived p53 may arrest the cell cycle by induction of p21waf1, but did not induce apoptosis. Analysis for diverse function of mutated-p53 may help to determine the therapeutic strategy, especially chemotherapeutic strategy in the individual patient with head and neck cancer.