Background: Bacterial superantigen Staphylococcal Enterotoxins (SEs), has stimulated polyclonal T cells irrespective of their antigen specificity, resulted a massive release of cytokines, and suggested that they could be assigned as a candidate of new antitumor agents. Recent attempts have done to specifically target superantigens towards tumors, subsequently Monoclonal antibodies and tumor-related ligands have employed as targeting molecules of superantigen for the preclinical treatment of different tumors. Here, we have evaluated TGFαL3-SEB fusion protein as a new antitumor candidate by genetically fusing the third loop of transforming growth factor alpha (TGFαL3) to Staphylococcal Enterotoxin type B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFtype A (BoNT/A) produces a neurotoxin recently found to be useful as an injectable drug for the treatment of abnormal muscle contractions. The catalytic domain of this toxin which is responsible for the main toxin activity is a zinc metalloprotease that inhibits the release of neurotransmitter mediators in neuromuscular junctions. A cell penetrating cationic peptide, Tat, which is a truncated N-terminal part of the Tat protein from human immunodeficiency virus, can help the toxin penetrate the skin uninvasively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflamm Allergy Drug Targets
July 2010
Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is one of the most important transcription factors; it has a key role in inflammatory and immune responses, cell adhesion, developmental signals, and anti-apoptosis process. Inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this review, we highlight the role of NF-kappaB in inflammatory lung disease, the strategies which block the activation of NF-kappaB, and the therapeutic approaches to treating inflammatory lung disease.
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