Antitumor activity and carrier properties of novel hemocyanins coupled to a mimotope of GD2 ganglioside.

Conjugation to carrier proteins is a way to improve the immunogenicity of peptides. Such is the case for peptides mimicking carbohydrate tumor-associated antigens in cancer vaccine development. The most used protein for this purpose is the keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) from Megathura crenulata.

Sublethal doses of dinophysistoxin-1 and okadaic acid stimulate secretion of inflammatory factors on innate immune cells: Negative health consequences.

One of the proposed mechanisms to explain why Diarrhetic Shellfish Poison (DSP) toxins are tumor promoters is founded on the capacity of these toxins to increase TNF-α secretion. Although macrophages are the principal cells in the activation of the inflammatory response, the immune profile that Okadaic acid (OA) and Dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1) trigger in these cells has not been fully explored. We have therefore investigated the effect of various concentrations of both toxins on the activity of several inflammatory factors.

Hemocyanins Stimulate Innate Immunity by Inducing Different Temporal Patterns of Proinflammatory Cytokine Expression in Macrophages.

Hemocyanins induce a potent Th1-dominant immune response with beneficial clinical outcomes when used as a carrier/adjuvant in vaccines and nonspecific immunostimulant in cancer. However, the mechanisms by which hemocyanins trigger innate immune responses, leading to beneficial adaptive immune responses, are unknown. This response is triggered by a proinflammatory signal from various components, of which macrophages are an essential part.

A novel immunomodulatory hemocyanin from the limpet Fissurella latimarginata promotes potent anti-tumor activity in melanoma.

Hemocyanins, the huge oxygen-transporting glycoproteins of some mollusks, are used as immunomodulatory proteins with proven anti-cancer properties. The biodiversity of hemocyanins has promoted interest in identifying new anti-cancer candidates with improved immunological properties. Hemocyanins promote Th1 responses without known side effects, which make them ideal for long-term sustained treatment of cancer.