title: Recombinant alpha-fetoprotein C-terminal fragment: the new recombinant vector for targeted delivery.
abstract: The specific receptor of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a universal tumor marker, being expressed on the surface of many tumor cells, but not in normal human tissues. AFP enters the cell by receptor-mediated endocytosis; its receptor-binding site is hypothetically localized in the third domain of AFP. A recombinant C-terminal AFP fragment, which contains all the third and a part of the second domains of hAFP, was produced. This AFP fragment was bound specifically to the AFP receptor on the surface of tumor cells and was accumulated by them with the same efficiency as the full-size hAFP. Similar to hAFP, the recombinant C-terminal fragment inhibited the estradiol-induced growth of hormone-dependent MCF-7 cells in vitro. Hence, the recombinant C-terminal AFP fragment can be used as a protein vector for the targeted delivery of cytostatic drugs to tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: Moscow Research Institute of Medical Ecology, Moscow, Russian Federation. galinapo@mail.ru
authors.forename: Galina A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Posypanova
authors.forename: Neonila V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Gorokhovets
authors.forename: Vladimir A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Makarov
authors.forename: Ludmila V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Savvateeva
authors.forename: Natalya N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Kireeva
authors.forename: Sergey E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Severin
authors.forename: Evgeny S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Severin
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D017510:Protein Folding; D018000:Receptors, Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D018000:Receptors, Peptide; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C042144:alpha-fetoprotein receptor, human; D004958:Estradiol; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate