immunotoxin
Sign in to saveAlso known as Immunotoxins, Toxin-Antibody Hybrids, Monoclonal Antibody-Toxin Conjugates, Antibody-Toxin Conjugates, Antibody-Toxin Hybrids, Toxin-Antibody Conjugates, Affinotoxins
An immunotoxin is an artificial protein consisting of a targeting portion linked to a toxin. When the protein binds to that cell, it is taken in through endocytosis, and the toxin kills the cell. They are used for the treatment of some kinds of cancer and a few viral infections.
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7 sectionsContents
- Design
- Production
- Function
- Clinical application
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An immunotoxin is an artificial protein consisting of a targeting portion linked to a toxin. When the protein binds to that cell, it is taken in through endocytosis, and the toxin kills the cell. They are used for the treatment of some kinds of cancer and a few viral infections.
==Design== These chimeric proteins are usually made of a modified antibody or antibody fragment, attached to a fragment of a toxin. The targeting portion is composed of the Fab portion of an antibody that targets a specific cell type. The toxin is usually an AB toxin, a cytotoxic protein derived from a bacterial or plant protein, from which the natural binding domain has been removed so that the Fv directs the toxin to the antigen on the target cell.