Turning Anthrax Toxin Into A Cancer Killer

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 02 Jan 2008 - 2:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Most people wouldn't consider anthrax toxin to be beneficial, but this bacterial poison may someday be an effective cancer therapy. Anthrax toxin has actually been shown to be fairly selective in targeting melanoma cells, although the risk of non-cancer toxicity prevents any clinical use.

To develop a better and safer treatment, Stephen Leppla and colleagues created a mutated anthrax toxin that could only be turned on by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), proteins that are overproduced solely in cancer cells.

When they tested this mutated toxin in mice, the researchers observed that 100% of the animals tolerated a dose that would be lethal for the natural toxin. The MMP-toxin was also better at killing melanoma tumors than natural toxin, due to its higher specificity and longer half-life in the blood.

Even better, Leppla and colleagues saw that MMP-toxin was not limited to melanoma, and could also kill other tumors like colon and lung cancers. This more widespread activity was due to the toxin's ability to inhibit angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels.

These encouraging mouse results suggest that modified anthrax toxin could be clinically viable, and this potent killer might someday be put to good use.

###

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 11,900 members in the United States and internationally. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, nonprofit research institutions and industry. The Society's student members attend undergraduate or graduate institutions.

Founded in 1906, the Society is based in Bethesda, Maryland, on the campus of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. The Society's purpose is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology through publication of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the Journal of Lipid Research, and Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, organization of scientific meetings, advocacy for funding of basic research and education, support of science education at all levels, and promoting the diversity of individuals entering the scientific work force.

For more information about ASBMB, see the Society's Web site at http://www.asbmb.org/.

Source: Nick Zagorski
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

• Additional
• References
• Citations