P53-independent apoptosis: a mechanism of radiation-induced cell death of glioblastoma cells.

Abstract

Apoptosis is an important component of the lethal effect of ionizing radiation on glioblastoma cells and does not require wild-type p53 expression. Glioblastoma expressing wild-type p53 exhibited no apoptosis, even after high radiation doses, but rather underwent a prolonged G1 arrest. The observation of p53-independent apoptosis and p53-dependent Gi arrest in glioblastoma cells have important radiobiologic and clinical implications.