Since activation of p53 in response to cytotoxic stress may have proapoptotic or protective effects depending on the nature of the injury, inhibitors of p53 may have therapeutic interest as modulators of chemotherapy toxicity or efficacy. In an attempt to identify novel p53 inhibitors, a quality collection of compounds structurally related to pifithrin-β were designed and synthesized as potential inhibitors of p53. The biochemical and biological evaluations ...