To investigate the function of 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) in human colorectal cancer, we overexpressed 15-LOX-1 in HCT-116 human colorectal cancer cells. Clones expressing the highest levels of 15-LOX-1 displayed reduced viability compared with the HCT-116-Vector control cells. Further, by cell cycle gene array analyses, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 and MDM2 genes were up-regulated in 15-LOX-1-overexpressing cells. The induction of p21(WAF1/CIP1) and MDM2 were linked to activation of p53 by 15-LOX-1, as there was a dramatic induction of phosphorylated p53 (Ser15) in 15-LOX-1-overesxpressing cells. However, the 15-LOX-1 metabolites 13(S)-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid and 15(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid failed to induce phosphorylation of p53 at Ser15, and the 15-LOX-1 inhibitor PD146176 did not inhibit the phosphorylation of p53 at Ser15 in 15-LOX-1-overexpressing cells. Nonetheless, the growth-inhibitory effects of 15-LOX-1 were p53 dependent, as 15-LOX-1 overexpression had no effect on cell growth in p53 (-/-) HCT-116 cells. Finally, treatment of HCT-116-15-LOX-1 cells with different kinase inhibitors suggested that the effects of 15-LOX-1 on p53 phosphorylation and activation were due to effects on DNA-dependent protein kinase. Collectively, these findings suggest a new mechanism to explain the biological activity of 15-LOX-1, where 15-LOX plays a stoichiometric role in activating a DNA-dependent protein kinase-dependent pathway that leads to p53-dependent growth arrest.