Using toxins to kill cancer cells - an overview

April 18, 2001

Here is a short, simple overview of using toxins to

kill cancer cells.

The Molecular Perspective: Targeted Toxins

S. Goodsell

See the full text article at:

Targeted toxins are tiny molecular killers. They are

designed to seek out cancer cells and kill them. There

are two components needed: a guided missle to find

cancer cells, and another molecular device to kill it.

Evolution has done much of the work for us. We need

merely to pick the pieces that we need and combine

them in an appropriate fashion.

To seek out cancer cells, we look to our own body. Our

immune system is our most powerful and flexible method

for recognizing molecules, so it is a good place to

look. Antibodies may be selected and constructed to

bind to nearly any molecule on the surface of cancer

cells. The trick is to find a molecule that is

expressed solely on cancer cells, and not on

non-cancer cells. Another option is to pick a receptor

on the cancer cell surface, and then use its normal

mate as the targeting molecule. Many of these pairs,

such as growth factors and their receptors or

interleukins and their receptors, have been employed.

We can also look to plants and bacteria for powerful

toxins that kill human cells. Usually, these toxins

are non-specific: they will seek out just about any

human cell and kill it. Two toxins which will serve

particularly well are ricin from castor beans and the

bacterial Pseudomonas enterotoxin. They are both

enzymes. And they are so powerful that a single

molecule can kill an entire cell.

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