IN-VITRO ANTITUMOR-ACTIVITY OF THE PLANT RIBOSOME-INACTIVATING PROTEINS MAP-30 AND GAP-31

MAP 30 and GAP 31 are plant proteins isolated from Momordica charantia and Gelonium multiflorum, respectively. They have recently been shown to inhibit HIV-1 infection and replication. These proteins also posse ss a novel DNA topoisomerase-poison-like activity as well as ribosome inactivation. They were submitted to the Anti-Cancer Drug Screening Pr ogram of the National Cancer Institute and found to have potent anti-t umor activity against certain human tumor cell lines. The most sensiti ve cell lines responded to MAP 30 and GAP 31 with GI(50) that ranged f rom 0.01 to 10 mu g/ml and were unrelated to tumor type. These include d cell lines from renal, non-small cell lung, and breast cancer. Targe ted immunofusions made with MAP 30 or GAP 31 may be most effective tow ard these types of tumors.