Peptides and peptidomimetics with structural similarity to human p53 that activate p53 function

A method for treating a patient having a tumor expressing a p53 mutant whose ability to bind DNA may be activated by peptides, modified peptides or peptidomimetics corresponding to all or a portion of the negative regulatory region which maps to residues 361-383 of p53, said method comprising administering to said patient a pharmaceutical composition comprising a peptide having at least four sequential amino acids from a negative regulatory region which maps to residues 361-383 (SEQ. ID. No. 12) of p53, said peptide not being a subfragment of human p53, wherein said peptide activates DNA binding of wild-type p53 or a p53 mutant containing a single amino acid substitution, said mutant selected from the group consisting of p53-ser239, p53-his273, p53-gln248, p53-trp282, and p53-cys273, in a p53 DNA binding assay and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.