Bouganin, an Attractive Weapon for Immunotoxins
Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd.) is a plant widely used in folk medicine and many extracts from different tissues of this plant have been employed against several pathologies. The observation that leaf extracts of Bougainvillea possess antiviral properties led to the purification and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-08-01
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| Series: | Toxins |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/8/323 |
| _version_ | 1811304460842958848 |
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| author | Massimo Bortolotti Andrea Bolognesi Letizia Polito |
| author_facet | Massimo Bortolotti Andrea Bolognesi Letizia Polito |
| author_sort | Massimo Bortolotti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd.) is a plant widely used in folk medicine and many extracts from different tissues of this plant have been employed against several pathologies. The observation that leaf extracts of Bougainvillea possess antiviral properties led to the purification and characterization of a protein, named bouganin, which exhibits typical characteristics of type 1 ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs). Beyond that, bouganin has some peculiarities, such as a higher activity on DNA with respect to ribosomal RNA, low systemic toxicity, and immunological properties quite different than other RIPs. The sequencing of bouganin and the knowledge of its three-dimensional structure allowed to obtain a not immunogenic mutant of bouganin. These features make bouganin a very attractive tool as a component of immunotoxins (ITs), chimeric proteins obtained by linking a toxin to a carrier molecule. Bouganin-containing ITs showed very promising results in the experimental treatment of both hematological and solid tumors, and one bouganin-containing IT has entered Phase I clinical trial. In this review, we summarize the milestones of the research on bouganin such as bouganin chemico-physical characteristics, the structural properties and de-immunization studies. In addition, the in vitro and in vivo results obtained with bouganin-containing ITs are summarized. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:07:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0972c408c6104ab2b44e3347b2c79983 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6651 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:07:36Z |
| publishDate | 2018-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxins |
| spelling | doaj.art-0972c408c6104ab2b44e3347b2c799832022-12-22T02:55:06ZengMDPI AGToxins2072-66512018-08-0110832310.3390/toxins10080323toxins10080323Bouganin, an Attractive Weapon for ImmunotoxinsMassimo Bortolotti0Andrea Bolognesi1Letizia Polito2Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine-DIMES, General Pathology Section, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via S. Giacomo 14, 40126 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine-DIMES, General Pathology Section, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via S. Giacomo 14, 40126 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine-DIMES, General Pathology Section, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via S. Giacomo 14, 40126 Bologna, ItalyBougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd.) is a plant widely used in folk medicine and many extracts from different tissues of this plant have been employed against several pathologies. The observation that leaf extracts of Bougainvillea possess antiviral properties led to the purification and characterization of a protein, named bouganin, which exhibits typical characteristics of type 1 ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs). Beyond that, bouganin has some peculiarities, such as a higher activity on DNA with respect to ribosomal RNA, low systemic toxicity, and immunological properties quite different than other RIPs. The sequencing of bouganin and the knowledge of its three-dimensional structure allowed to obtain a not immunogenic mutant of bouganin. These features make bouganin a very attractive tool as a component of immunotoxins (ITs), chimeric proteins obtained by linking a toxin to a carrier molecule. Bouganin-containing ITs showed very promising results in the experimental treatment of both hematological and solid tumors, and one bouganin-containing IT has entered Phase I clinical trial. In this review, we summarize the milestones of the research on bouganin such as bouganin chemico-physical characteristics, the structural properties and de-immunization studies. In addition, the in vitro and in vivo results obtained with bouganin-containing ITs are summarized.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/8/323antiviral activityBougainvilleabouganincancer therapyimmunotherapyimmunotoxinsribosome-inactivating proteinsrRNA N-glycosylase activityVB6-845 |
| spellingShingle | Massimo Bortolotti Andrea Bolognesi Letizia Polito Bouganin, an Attractive Weapon for Immunotoxins Toxins antiviral activity Bougainvillea bouganin cancer therapy immunotherapy immunotoxins ribosome-inactivating proteins rRNA N-glycosylase activity VB6-845 |
| title | Bouganin, an Attractive Weapon for Immunotoxins |
| title_full | Bouganin, an Attractive Weapon for Immunotoxins |
| title_fullStr | Bouganin, an Attractive Weapon for Immunotoxins |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bouganin, an Attractive Weapon for Immunotoxins |
| title_short | Bouganin, an Attractive Weapon for Immunotoxins |
| title_sort | bouganin an attractive weapon for immunotoxins |
| topic | antiviral activity Bougainvillea bouganin cancer therapy immunotherapy immunotoxins ribosome-inactivating proteins rRNA N-glycosylase activity VB6-845 |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/8/323 |
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