Targeting enzymes for cancer therapy: old enzymes in new roles

Enzymes which traditionally have played no role in cell-directed cytotoxicity are finding their way into schemes for prodrug activation and immunotoxins owing to such useful enzymatic activity. Alkaline phosphatase, carboxypeptidases, beta-glucosidases and beta-lactamases among many others are being utilised to regenerate potent anti-cancer drugs or toxic small molecules from precursors in a bid to enhance their activity in tumours. These prodrug activation systems require the pretargeting of the enzyme to the surface of a tumour cell, usually by an antibody or its immunoreactive fragment. A recent novel approach proposes the intracellular delivery of appropriate enzymes, such as phosphodiesterases, to particular cellular compartments. There, enzyme activity can cause substantive damage resulting in cell death. Cell targeting of mammalian phosphodiesterase promises to improve upon conventional immunotoxins because of their increased cytotoxicity when targeted to the appropriate compartment and their expected lack of, or lower, immunogenicity in clinical use.