Targeting p53 activation: Recent therapeutic advances in cancer and diabetic macular edema

Zhiyi Wang1, Shijie Zhang2, Loïca Mélita Irakoze2

  • 1School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd., Shanghai, 201203, China.

Insights

Activating p53, a key tumor suppressor, shows promise for cancer treatment. Recent drug discovery efforts focus on novel therapies targeting both wild-type and mutant p53 for enhanced cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • p53 is a crucial tumor suppressor protein encoded by the TP53 gene.
  • Pharmacological activation of p53 is a validated strategy for treating human cancers.
  • Dysregulation of p53 is common in many malignancies, driving tumor development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive review of recent agents designed to enhance p53 function.
  • To highlight therapies targeting both wild-type and mutant p53.
  • To focus on agents that have advanced to clinical trials or restore p53 activity in TP53-mutated cancers.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent scientific publications and clinical trial data.
  • Focus on novel therapeutic strategies including MDM2 degraders, p53 stabilizers, gene therapies, and MDM2-p53 interaction inhibitors.
  • Analysis of agents capable of restoring p53 activity in specific cancer contexts.

Main Results:

  • Significant advancements in drug discovery for p53-targeted therapies since 2020.
  • Identification of several novel agents progressing towards or currently in clinical trials.
  • Emergence of strategies effective against both wild-type and mutant p53, including in TP53-mutated cancers.

Conclusions:

  • The field of p53-targeted cancer therapy is rapidly evolving with promising new agents.
  • Recent breakthroughs offer new hope for treating cancers with TP53 mutations.
  • This review serves as a valuable reference for ongoing and future drug discovery in p53-based cancer therapeutics.