Trichosanthin, an initiator of the alternative complement activation pathway

Chinese Medicine Protein and Peptide in Gene and Cell Therapy

The success of gene and cell therapy in clinic during the past two decades as well as our expanding ability to manipulate these biomaterials are leading to new therapeutic options for a wide range of inherited and acquired diseases. Combining conventional therapies with this emerging field is a promising strategy to treat those previously-thought untreatable diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has evolved for thousands of years in China and still plays an important role in human health. As part of the active ingredients of TCM, proteins and peptides have attracted long-term enthusiasm of researchers. More recently, they have been utilized in gene and cell therapy, resulting in promising novel strategies to treat both cancer and non-cancer diseases. This manuscript presents a critical review on this field, accompanied with perspectives on the challenges and new directions for future research in this emerging frontier.

Minireview: trichosanthin--a protein with multiple pharmacological properties

Trichosanthin (TCS), a protein isolated from the root tuber of the Chinese medicinal herb Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim., is used to induce abortion in China. It also possesses immunomodulatory, anti-tumor and anti-human immunodeficiency virus properties. TCS is a member of the family of ribosome-inactivating proteins and inactivates eukaryotic ribosomes via its N-glycosidase activity. The gene encoding TCS has been cloned and over-expressed and the crystal structure of this protein resolved to 1.73A. In this review, the various pharmacological properties of TCS are discussed and assessed.