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HAMLET kills tumor cells by apoptosis: Structure, cellular mechanisms, and therapy

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Author

Summary, in English

New cancer treatments should aim to destroy tumor cells without disturbing normal tissue. HAMLET (human a-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells) offers a new molecular approach to solving this problem, because it induces apoptosis in tumor cells but leaves normal differentiated cells unaffected. After partial unfolding and binding to oleic acid, α-lactalbumin forms the HAMLET complex, which enters tumor cells and freezes their metabolic machinery. The cells proceed to fragment their DNA, and they disintegrate with apoptosis-like characteristics. HAMLET kills a wide range of malignant cells in vitro and maintains this activity in vivo in patients with skin papillomas. In addition, HAMLET has striking effects on human glioblastomas in a rat xenograft model. After convection-enhanced delivery, HAMLET diffuses throughout the brain, selectively killing tumor cells and controlling tumor progression without apparent tissue toxicity. HAMLET thus shows great promise as a new therapeutic with the advantage of selectivity for tumor cells and lack of toxicity.

Publishing year

2005

Language

English

Pages

1299-1303

Publication/Series

Journal of Nutrition

Volume

135

Issue

5

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Topic

  • Nutrition and Dietetics

Keywords

  • lactalbumin
  • human milk
  • tumor
  • apoptosis
  • protein folding

Status

Published

Project

  • HAMLET- In vivo effects and mechanisms of tumor cells death

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1541-6100