Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026
09:16
A High Yield and Cost-efficient Expression System of Human Granzymes in Mammalian Cells
Published on: June 10, 2015
10.5K
Human Granzyme B Based Targeted Cytolytic Fusion Proteins
Precious Hlongwane1, Neelakshi Mungra2, Suresh Madheswaran3
1Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Unit, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa. hlnpre001@myuct.ac.za.
Biomedicines
|June 22, 2018
Summary
Cancer immunotherapy utilizes human granzymes, which are enzymes that induce apoptosis, as targeted effectors. These granzymes are fused to antibody fragments for precise delivery to cancer cells, minimizing damage to healthy tissues.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Cancer immunotherapy seeks targeted tumor cell destruction with minimal healthy tissue damage.
- Controlled delivery of toxins and enzymes can induce apoptosis in cancer cells.
- Existing immunotherapies face immunogenicity issues, driving the development of humanized effectors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review research on using granzymes as cytolytic effectors in cancer therapeutics.
- To explore the fusion of granzymes with antibody fragments for targeted cancer therapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on granzyme-based cancer immunotherapy.
- Analysis of granzyme mechanisms (caspase-dependent/independent pathways).
- Examination of antibody fragment-granzyme fusion protein strategies.
Main Results:
- Granzymes are potent serine proteases naturally involved in programmed cell death.
- Cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells secrete granzymes.
- Fusion proteins combine granzyme's killing ability with antibody fragment's targeting specificity.
Conclusions:
- Granzymes are promising human enzymes for targeted cancer therapy development.
- Antibody fragment-granzyme fusions offer a strategy to overcome immunogenicity and enhance selectivity.
- This approach holds potential for novel therapeutic strategies against various cancers.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Tagging and Fusion Proteins
8.5K
Proteins are involved in several cellular processes and biochemical reactions. Analyzing a specific protein of interest requires it to be isolated from the other proteins in the cell. This is achieved by overexpressing the specific gene in a suitable host to produce large quantities of the target protein. A tag or label is recombined with the gene to produce a fusion protein containing the target protein and the tag. The tags on these fusion proteins can then be used for easy detection and...
8.5K
02:45Nuclear Fusion
33.9K
The process of converting very light nuclei into heavier nuclei is also accompanied by the conversion of mass into large amounts of energy, a process called fusion. The principal source of energy in the sun is a net fusion reaction in which four hydrogen nuclei fuse and ultimately produce one helium nucleus and two positrons.
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
33.9K
01:43SNAREs and Membrane Fusion
12.9K
Once a transport vesicle has recognized its target organelle, the vesicular membrane needs to fuse with the target membrane to unload the cargo. Transmembrane proteins called SNAREs present on organelle membranes and their vesicles, mediate vesicle fusion.
SNAREs exist in pairs that symmetrically interact and catalyze the fusion of the lipid bilayers in vesicle and target organelle. v-SNARE in the vesicle membrane are single polypeptide chains that bind to a complementary t-SNARE, composed of 2...
SNAREs exist in pairs that symmetrically interact and catalyze the fusion of the lipid bilayers in vesicle and target organelle. v-SNARE in the vesicle membrane are single polypeptide chains that bind to a complementary t-SNARE, composed of 2...
12.9K
01:28Role of Proteins in the Human Body
6.4K
Proteins are the building block of life. They are also the most abundant macromolecules with as many diverse roles in the body. They are part of many structural components that provide unique shapes and structures to animal cells, tissues, and organs. In addition, they also act as biological catalysts and carry out several anabolic and catabolic reactions. Notably, some proteins are chemical messengers and regulate many critical processes, such as metabolism, growth, and development. They...
6.4K
01:26Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane
19.0K
Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
19.0K
02:26Conservation of Protein Domains Over Different Proteins
14.6K
Protein domains are small structurally independent units that are part of a single amino acid chain. Although these domains are often structurally independent, they may rely on synergistic effects to perform their functions as part of a larger protein. Protein domains may be conserved within the same organism, as well as across different organisms.
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to...
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to...
14.6K