title: Use of immunotoxin to inhibit proliferating human corneal endothelium.
abstract: Transferrin plays a central role in cellular proliferation and proliferating cells have been shown to express transferrin receptors with increased density. We examined the effect of an immunotoxin consisting of anti-transferrin receptor monoclonal antibody (454A12) conjugated to recombinant ricin A chain (rRTA) on the proliferation of human corneal endothelium (HCE) in vitro. In proliferating cultures an immunotoxin (454A12-rRTA) concentration of 50 ng/mL reduced cell counts at day 7 by at least 89%, with no effect observed at 0.01 ng/ml. In contrast, cell counts were only minimally reduced in confluent cultures, even after 7 days' exposure to high concentrations of immunotoxin. These data suggest that 454A12-rRTA may be used to prevent growth of human corneal endothelium in pathological conditions such as the iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Temple, TX 76508.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fulcher
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Houston
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burris
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polansky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarado
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000922:Immunotoxins; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin