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Antitumor activity with nontoxic doses of protein A

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Summary

This report confirms our previous observation that IV inoculation of purified protein A causes regression of rat mammary adenocarcinomas. In treated tumors, we have obtained histological evidence of changes indicating tumor cell destruction. Protein A treatment does not cause reduction in the body weight or organ weights of rats; nor does it cause any decrease in activity of the enzymes of the microsomal mixed function oxidase system in the liver. Protein A stimulates peripheral white cell counts in normal rats, but not in tumor-bearing rats. We found that protein A infusion reduced (P<0.0005) the level of circulating plasma immune complex concentration. A homing study with 125I-labeled protein A indicated that liver, spleen, and kidney tissues are the major sites of protein A accumulation. Therefore, protein A seemed to exert its antitumor effects without causing any generalized toxicity to the system. It is postulated that the action of protein A may be related to its ability to cause a drastic reduction in circulating plasma immune complex concentration, thus potentiating the immune reactivity of the host observed earlier.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, 226001, Lucknow, India

    Prasanta K. Ray

  2. Department of Surgery, Microbiology and Immunology, Alma Dea Morani Laboratory of Surgical Immunobiology, The Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hospital Philadelphia, 19129, PA, USA

    Santu Bandyopadhyay, Mariam Dohadwala & Promook Canchanapan

  3. Department of Pathology, The Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hospital Philadelphia, 19129, PA, USA

    Jalal Mobini

Authors
  1. Prasanta K. Ray
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  2. Santu Bandyopadhyay
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  3. Mariam Dohadwala
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  4. Promook Canchanapan
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  5. Jalal Mobini
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Ray, P.K., Bandyopadhyay, S., Dohadwala, M. et al. Antitumor activity with nontoxic doses of protein A. Cancer Immunol Immunother 18, 29–34 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00205396

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00205396

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