Activity of bacteriophages in murine tumor models depends on the route of phage administration.

Previously we investigated the anticancer activity of bacteriophage preparations in various murine tumor models. We demonstrated the antimetastatic activity of purified and nonpurified bacteriophage preparations injected intraperitoneally (IP). However, in solid tumors we observed antitumor activity of purified bacteriophages, but the lysates (raw preparations obtained by culturing phages with bacteria) stimulated tumor growth.

Hoc protein regulates the biological effects of T4 phage in mammals.

We previously investigated the biological, non-antibacterial effects of bacteriophage T4 in mammals (binding to cancer cells in vitro and attenuating tumour growth and metastases in vivo); we selected the phage mutant HAP1 that was significantly more effective than T4. In this study we describe a non-sense mutation in the hoc gene that differentiates bacteriophage HAP1 and its parental strain T4. We found no substantial effects of the mutation on the mutant morphology, and its effects on electrophoretic mobility and hydrodynamic size were moderate.

[The role of GABA-ergic system in carcinogenesis].

The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major and the best known neurotransmitter with inhibitory properties in the central nervous system (CNS). Outside the CNS, GABA acts as a regulator of muscle tension and controls the secretion of hormones. In the peripheral region, as in the CNS GABA's function is known to be mediated by GABAA and GABAB receptors.