title: Experimental local therapy of human melanoma with lytic magainin peptides.
abstract: Magainin peptides and model amphipathic peptides exhibit antibiotic activity and are also cytolytic for transformed human cells. Here we demonstrate in vitro that MSI-511 (an all-D amino-acid model magainin peptide) and MSI-130 (a margainin analogue) were more lytic for 17 human melanomas than for normal melanocytes. Melanomas established s.c. in athymic nude mice and then injected once with the peptide MSI-511 completely disappeared in 6 out of 9 animals, whereas a control peptide had no effect. Murine skin at the tumor injection site was initially affected, but healed within 2 weeks with minimal scarring. Similarly, accelerated healing was seen in human skin grafted to SCID mice and injected with MSI-511. Our results indicate that lytic magainin peptides can be used for local tumor therapy with minimal long-term damage to normal tissues.
authors: Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors: P W
authors: PW
authors: Soballe
authors: W L
authors: WL
authors: Maloy
authors: M L
authors: ML
authors: Myrga
authors: L S
authors: LS
authors: Jacob
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Herlyn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C091558:MSI 511; D010455:Peptides