Antitumor Ribonucleases

Ribonucleases are small basic proteins that have shown remarkable antitumor activity linked to their ability to destroy RNA. Therefore, they are a second line of cancer chemotherapeutics as they are not genotoxic. This chapter summarizes the main biochemical characteristics of these enzymes and the...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Ribó i Panosa, Marc, Benito i Mundet, Antoni, Vilanova i Brugués, Maria
Tipo de recurso: capítulo de libro
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2011
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10256/16188
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10256/16188
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ribonucleases
Enginyeria de proteïnes
Protein engineering
Citotoxicitat
Càncer -- Tractament
Cancer -- Treatment
Cytotoxicity
Descripción
Sumario:Ribonucleases are small basic proteins that have shown remarkable antitumor activity linked to their ability to destroy RNA. Therefore, they are a second line of cancer chemotherapeutics as they are not genotoxic. This chapter summarizes the main biochemical characteristics of these enzymes and the key factors responsible for their cytotoxic mechanism. Some of them are shared by most cytotoxins, but each RNase has particular cancer cell killing abilities. The effects on the cell cycle and the induced apoptosis mechanism are cell dependent. The knowledge obtained from the cytotoxic mechanism of natural cytotoxic RNases has been used to artificially engineer more potent and selective RNA-degrading enzymes. These approaches are also described. The chapter ends with a brief description of the results of the clinical trials performed with RNases