New Ways to Fight Skin Cancer

摘要

Cancer therapy is expected to selectively kill tumour cells and not to harm normal cells. A protein of the sea hare Aplysia punctata termed Cyplasin has demonstrated such a selective ability to rapidly kill melanoma cells while leaving normal non-cancerous cells untouched. Its mode of action distinguishes it from other anticancer drugs and it promises to be an important extension of our arsenal of weapons against tumours. The protein has been fully characterised. It is now available as recombinant protein and its development well under way towards clinical application.