Advance in Research on Relations between Cyclooxygenase-2 and P53 during Inflammatory Stress and Carcinogenesis

Over expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is observed in most tumor types.Increased COX-2 activity and synthesis of prostaglandins stimulates proliferation,angiogenesis,and invasion,and inhibits apoptosis.Many stress and proinfiammatory signals induce COX-2 and P53 expression,including oxyradicals or DNA-damaging agents.P53,a transcription factor,is often inactivated by mutation in cancer.Several studies have identified complex cross-talks between P53 and COX-2,whereby P53 can either up-regulate or down-regulate the expression of COX-2,which in turn controls p53 transcriptional activity.However,the molecular bases of these effects are open to debate.In this review,we summarize the relationship and molecular mechanisms between COX-2 and P53 during inflammatory stress and carcinogenesis. Key words: COX-2; P53; Cancer; Inflammation