Chinese Medicine Amygdalin and β-Glucosidase Combined with Antibody Enzymatic Prodrug System As A Feasible Antitumor Therapy.
Amarogentin is an efficacious Chinese herbal medicine and a component of the bitter apricot kernel. It is commonly used as an expectorant and supplementary anti-cancer drug. β-Glucosidase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes the glycosidic bond between aryl and saccharide groups to release glucose. Upon their interaction, β-glucosidase catalyzes amarogentin to produce considerable amounts of hydrocyanic acid, which inhibits cytochrome C oxidase, the terminal enzyme in the mitochondrial respiration chain, and suspends adenosine triphosphate synthesis, resulting in cell death. Hydrocyanic acid is a cell-cycle-stage-nonspecific agent that kills cancer cells. Thus, β-glucosidase can be coupled with a tumor-specific monoclonal antibody. β-Glucosidase can combine with cancer-cell-surface antigens and specifically convert amarogentin to an active drug that acts on cancer cells and the surrounding antibodies to achieve a killing effect. β-Glucosidase is injected intravenously and recognizes cancer-cell-surface antigens with the help of an antibody. The prodrug amarogentin is infused after β-glucosidase has reached the target position. Coupling of cell membrane peptides with β-glucosidase allows the enzyme to penetrate capillary endothelial cells and clear extracellular deep solid tumors to kill the cells therein. The Chinese medicine amarogentin and β-glucosidase will become an important treatment for various tumors when an appropriate monoclonal antibody is developed.
Department of Urology, Kunshan Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Kunshan, Zhejiang Province, 215300, China.
Yun-Long
YL
Li
Department of Urology, Kunshan Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Kunshan, Zhejiang Province, 215300, China.
Qiao-Xing
QX
Li
School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Zhejiang Province, 212013, China.
Rui-Jiang
RJ
Liu
School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Zhejiang Province, 212013, China. shenxq@ujs.edu.cn.
Xiang-Qian
XQ
Shen
D000678:Amygdalin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D039823:Iridoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001617:beta-Glucosidase / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides; D039823:Iridoids; D011355:Prodrugs; D000678:Amygdalin; C102609:amarogentin; D001617:beta-Glucosidase
Chinese medicine; amarogentin; antibody enzymatic prodrug; targeting therapy; β-glucosidase