相思子毒素抑制肿瘤活性研究进展

Advance in Research on Anticancer of Abrin

采用手工检索和联机检索相结合,查阅了近年来国外有关相思子毒素抗肿瘤的文献资料,对相思子毒素的抗肿瘤活性研究进行了综述,认为相思子毒素对大多数肿瘤有抑制作用,应进一步深入研究,很可能为癌症的治疗开辟新的途径。

Abrin is a highly toxic plant protein purified from jequirity beans( Abrus precatorius ). Abrin has a molecular weight of 64000 and consists of two glycoprotein chains(A and B),the two glycoprotein chains hold together by a disulfide bond. The B chain is a lectin which bonds specifically to galactosyl residues on the cell surface and response for the endocytic uptake of the abrin molecule.The A chain has the ability to modify catalytically the 60S subunit of eucaryotic ribosomes so that EF 2 no longer binds,terminating protein systhesis and leading to cell death. In view of the high general toxicity of abrin towards cells, in recent years several laboratories have investigated that this toxin have rather efficient anti tumor activity in animal model systems including ”nude”,athymic mice carrying heterotransplants from human cancer. This paper reviewed the current literature on the antitumor research of abrin .