BACKGROUND/AIM:Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a subtype of ovarian cancer, in which TP53 mutation is uncommon in contrast to high-grade serous carcinoma, the predominant subtype. Therefore, the functional reactivation of p53 is an attractive therapeutic opportunity for this subtype of ovarian cancer. Nevertheless, the therapeutic potential of targeting MDM4, a representative negative regulator of p53, has not yet been reported. In the present study, we investigated the impact of CEP-1347, an MDM4 inhibitor with a known safety profile in humans, on p53 pathway activity and the growth of OCCC cells.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:The effects of CEP-1347 as well as the knockdown of MDM4 or p53 on the mRNA and/or protein expression of components of the p53 pathway, including MDM4, in human OCCC cell lines with and without p53 mutation were examined by RT-PCR and western blot analyses. Dye exclusion and colony formation assays were used to examine the effects of CEP-1347 on cell growth.
RESULTS:CEP-1347 decreased MDM4 and increased p53 protein expression, and also induced the expression of p21, a CDK inhibitor, in a p53-dependent manner in OCCC cells with wild-type p53. In these cells, the knockdown-mediated inhibition of MDM4 expression increased the expression of p53 and p21. Furthermore, CEP-1347 potently inhibited the growth and clonogenic survival of OCCC cells without exhibiting toxicity in normal cells at clinically relevant concentrations.
CONCLUSION:The present results suggest the potential of targeting MDM4 with CEP-1347 as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of OCCC with wild-type p53.