New therapeutic strategies for cancer therapy

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Several p53-mutants are known to have the enhanced activity of apoptosis-induction, and are believed to be kind of active-forms of p53. On the other hand, several p53-target genes were reported to induce remarkable apoptosis in cancer cells. Therefore, to improve p53 gene therapy, adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of active-forms of p53 or apoptotic p53-target genes would become new therapeutic strategies for treatment of p53-resistant cancers. Toward development of new strategies for cancer therapy, in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects of these genes are being examined in the Division.