title: Genetic engineering of immunotoxins.
abstract: Immunotoxins, composed of both targeting mechanisms and toxins, hold great promise for the treatment of some cancers and other pathological conditions. Research and manufacture of these drugs use various techniques of molecular biology, some of which are described in this article. A considerable amount of research has focused on ricin, a plant toxin, and its immunoconjugates. Areas currently under evaluation by our laboratory include structure-function studies based on mutational analysis, enhancement of intracellular trafficking, genetic fusion of the targeting and toxic moieties, and the expression of toxin in plant cell culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Frankel
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Tagge
mesh_terms: D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics; D012276:Ricin / Q000737:chemistry; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000922:Immunotoxins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D012276:Ricin