title: Novel metal clusters isolated from blood are lethal to cancer cells.
abstract: Unfolding and subsequent aggregation of proteins is a common phenomenon that is linked to many human disorders. Misfolded hemoglobin is generally manifested in various autoimmune, infectious and inherited diseases. We isolated micrometer and submicrometer particles, termed proteons, from human and animal blood. Proteons lack nucleic acids but contain two major polypeptide populations with homology to the hemoglobin alpha-chain. Proteons form by reversible seeded aggregation of proteins around proteon nucleating centers (PNCs). PNCs are comprised of 1- to 2-nm metallic nanoclusters containing 40-300 atoms. Each milliliter of human blood contained approximately 7 x 10(13) PNCs and approximately 3 x 10(8) proteons. Exposure of isolated blood plasma to elevated temperatures increased the number of proteons. When an aliquot of this heated plasma was introduced into untreated plasma that was subsequently heated, the number of proteons further increased, reaching a maximum after a total of three such iterations. Small concentrations of PNCs were lethal to cultured cancer cells, whereas noncancerous cells were much less affected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Samoylov
authors.forename: Tatiana I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Samoylova
authors.forename: Oleg M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Pustovyy
authors.forename: Alexei A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Samoylov
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Toivio-Kinnucan
authors.forename: Nancy E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Ludmila P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Globa
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.forename: Vitaly
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vodyanoy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004285:Dogs; D005910:Glioma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D049329:Nanostructures; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D008670:Metals