ANTI-CANCER ACTIVITY OF CYTOTOXIC POLYPEPTIDES FROM MALAYSIAN ISOLATES OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS

摘要

THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES TO PARASPORAL INCLUSIONS KNOWN AS 8-ENDOTOXIN PRODUCED BY BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS AND WHICH HAS CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY AGAINST CANCER CELLS. MORE PARTICULARLY, THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES TO A NON-HAEMOLYTIC BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS PARASPORAL INCLUSIONS WHICH CAN PREFERENTIALLY KILL LEUKEMIC CELL LINES. THE PARASPORAL INCLUSIONS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION ARE ENCODED BY A FAMILY OF CRY AND CYT GENES AND SHOW SELECTIVE THERAPEUTIC SPECIFICITY FOR CEM-SS CELL LINES AND ARE NON-CYTOTOXIC TO NORMAL T LYMPHOCYTES.