Recombinant immunotoxin targeting GPC3 is cytotoxic to H446 small cell lung cancer cells.

Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a cell membrane glycoprotein that regulates cell growth and proliferation. Aberrant expression or distribution of GPC3 underlies developmental abnormalities and the development of solid tumours. The strongest evidence for the participation of GPC3 in carcinogenesis stems from studies on hepatocellular carcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Towards Engineering Novel PE-Based Immunotoxins by Targeting Them to the Nucleus.

Exotoxin A (PE) from is a bacterial ADP-ribosyltransferase, which can permanently inhibit translation in the attacked cells. Consequently, this toxin is frequently used in immunotoxins for targeted cancer therapies. In this study, we propose a novel modification to PE by incorporating the NLS sequence at its -terminus, to make it a selective agent against fast-proliferating cancer cells, as a nucleus-accumulated toxin should be separated from its natural substrate (eEF2) in slowly dividing cells.