[P53 mutations, asset or disadvantage for cancer chemotherapy].

The "guardian of the genome" p53 is an essential modulator of the cellular response to cytotoxic agents. After introduction of DNA damages, the p53 protein prevents the cells to divide, either transiently by arresting their progression at the G1/S transition, or definitely by inducing apoptosis. In approximately half of the human tumors, mutations result in profound alterations of the p53 protein properties. In this work, the consequences of these alterations on the tumor cell sensitivity to chemotherapy are discussed.