Tumor-Inhibiting Protein Could Be Effective In Treating Leukemia

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Tumor-Inhibiting Protein Could Be Effective In Treating Leukemia

16 Jul 2008

Angiocidin, a tumor-inhibiting novel protein discovered by Temple University

researchers, may also have a role as a new therapeutic application in treating

leukemia, according to a study by the researchers.

The study, " The Novel Angiogenic Inhibitor, Angiocidin, Induces Differentiation

of Monocytes to Macropahges, " was published in the July 15 issue of the journal

Cancer Research (http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/future/68.14.shtml). The

research was done by Temple biology doctoral student Anita Gaurnier-Hausser

under the direction of Tuszynski, a professor of neuroscience in Temple's

School of Medicine and a professor of biology in Temple's College of Science and

Technology.

" Angiocidin is a protein that has a lot of anti-cancer activity and inhibits

angiogenesis, a physiological process involving the growth of new blood vessels

from pre-existing vessels, which is a fundamental step in the transition of

tumors from a dormant state to a malignant state, " said Tuszynski, who

discovered the protein.

Tuszynski said that over the years, the researchers had looked at the protein's

effect on solid tumors like breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer.

" All of these cancers are inhibited by Angiocidin by virtue of the fact that

this protein inhibits vascularization or the formation of new vessels, " he said.

" We decided we wanted to look to see if Angiocidin had any effect on hematologic

malignancy, and we chose leukemia. "

Tuszynski said leukemia cells arise from monocytes, a specific white blood cell

that is a part of the human body's immune system that protects against

bloodborne pathogens and moves quickly to sites of infection. As monocytes enter

tissue, they undergo a series of changes to become macrophages.

When the researchers treated the leukemia cells, " our molecule was able to

induce a differentiation of these monocytic leukemia cells into a normal,

macrophage-like phenotype, " he said.

" This indicates perhaps a new therapeutic application for this protein, that it

could differentiate hematologic malignancies into a normal-like state, allowing

then for chemotherapy because normal cells are susceptible to chemotherapy

treatment, " said Tuszynski, who is also a member of the Sol Sherry Thrombosis

Research Center in Temple's School of Medicine.

He added, however, that Angiocidin must remain present with the differentiated

cells or they will revert back to their leukemia phenotype. " We haven't repaired

the genetic abnormality in the cell, but what we have done is push them into a

more normal phenotype that could then be treated more easily. "

Tuszynski also said that the research demonstrates the ability of Angiocidin to

stimulate the body's immune system by differentiating monocytic cells into

macrophages, which function to ingest bacteria and protein debris as part of the

immune system.

" We did gene array analysis of the differentiated versus the undifferentiated

cells and we discovered that there were many genes characteristic of immune

cells that were up-regulated in the differentiated leukemia cells, " he said.

" That Angiocidin can stimulate differentiation and stimulate the immune system

is basically a new activity that we discovered with this protein that we had

never really anticipated before. "

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

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The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and Temple

University.

Source: Preston M. Moretz

Temple University

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115226.php