Amino-Terminus-Modified Eosinophil-Derived Neurotoxin and Its Selective Toxicity to Kaposi's Sarcoma Cell Line, KS Y-1
Description of Invention:
The invention described in this patent application is related to the field of cancer/HIV therapeutics. More particularly, the invention relates to the creation and identification of a compound which, in in vitro assays, is selectively cytotoxic for Kaposi's sarcoma cells and therefore may prove useful for developing a therapeutic treatment for Kaposi's sarcoma. The compound, a derivative of human eosinophil-derived neurotoxin ("EDN"), was obtained by altering the mature EDN protein at its amino terminus. EDN, a ribonuclease, has previously been shown to be cytotoxic when delivered to cells as an immunotoxin. The EDN derivative of this patent application has been constructed by adding to the NH2 terminus of the mature EDN protein the four (4) naturally-occurring COOH terminal amino acids of the signal sequence of EDN, SLHV. Normally, this signal sequence is cleaved from EDN to obtain the mature, functional protein.
Inventors:
Dr. Susanna M. Rybak and Dr. Dianne L. Newton (NCI)
Cancer -Therapeutics-Immunoconjugates-Toxins Cancer -Diagnostics Cancer -Therapeutics
For Additional Information Please Contact: David A. Lambertson Ph.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301)435-4632
Email: lambertsond@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
