RETRA exerts anticancer activity in Ewing's sarcoma cells independent of their TP53 status.

Mutant p53 can exert oncogenic activity by inhibitory interaction with p73. The small-molecule RETRA has been described to disrupt this interaction and to suppress carcinoma cells (Kravchenko et al., 2008).

Histone deacetylase inhibitor-mediated sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in childhood malignancies is not associated with upregulation of TRAIL receptor expression, but with potentiated caspase-8 activation.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has great potential for the treatment of cancer because it targets tumor cells while sparing normal cells. Several cancers, however, fail to respond to TRAIL's antineoplastic effects. These resistant tumors require cotreatment with sensitizing agents in order for TRAIL to exert anticancer activity.