Trichosanthin-monoclonal antibody conjugate specifically cytotoxic to human hepatoma cells in vitro

A plant single-chain ribosome-inactivating protein derived from the root tuber of Trichosanthes kirilowii, termed trichosanthin (TCS), was modified with 2-iminothiolane. It was not like trichokirin, a ribosome-inactivating protein derived from the seeds of the same plant, in that TCS retained full activity when 1.5 sulfhydryl groups were introduced into each TCS molecule by 2-iminothiolane modification. The 2-iminothiolane-TCS was conjugated to Hepama-1, a monoclonal antibody directed against human hepatoma with a cross-linking reagent, N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyl)-dithiopropionate. The hepatoma cytotoxicity of the immunotoxin, TCS-Hepama-1, was 500-fold higher than that of free TCS and only 1 log lower than that of free ricin. However, the immunotoxin was approximately 600-fold less cytotoxic to HeLa cells. The results suggested that the immunotoxin was a potent and quite specific antihepatoma agent and might have considerable potential in hepatoma therapy.