p53 mediates the cellular responses to cis -trimethoxystilbene in breast cancer cell lines

The present study investigated the cellular inhibitory effects of cis-trimethoxystilbene (cis-TMS) on the chemoresistant MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line and the role of p53 in mediating the cellular responses to this compound. Treatment with cis-TMS significantly inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells, reducing the cell viability by approximately 75% at 2.5 µM and increasing apoptosis rates to nearly 20%. Silencing p53 in MCF-10A and MCF-7 cell lines revealed that cis-TMS-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were p53-dependent. The interaction studies suggest that cis-TMS does not alter the conformation of p53 at low concentrations but may influence its activity at higher doses. The results suggest that cis-TMS selectively targets cancer cells with functional p53, offering a potential targeted therapy approach. However, the reliance on p53 and the risk of genomic instability pose limitations, requiring further research to optimise the therapeutic strategies involving cis-TMS.