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Title: Tuftsin: a hormone-like tetrapeptide with antimicrobial and antitumor activities

Abstract

A specific fraction of immunoglobulin G binds to polymorphonuclear neutrophils and stimulates their phagocytic activity. This phagocytosis-stimulating activity resides solely in a small peptide termed tuftsin, of the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg, which has been isolated from the leukophilic immunoglobulin G fraction. The physiological significance of tuftsin has been demonstrated in splenectomized patients and patients with a congenital tuftsin abnormality, in whom the low levels of tuftsin in sera (measurable by radioimmunoassay) coincides with a high incidence of infection. Tuftsin has also been shown to enhance bactericidal activity in addition to phagocytosis. Its biological activities appear to be mediated via specific tuftsin receptors which have been found on macrophages, monocytes and granulocytes. In addition, tuftsin possesses chemotactic, migration-enhancing and mitogenic properties for leukocytes and has recently been shown to enhance their anti-tumor activity in vitro as well as in vivo. Other known activities of tuftsin include effects on the activity of the hexose monophosphate shunt, on the concentrations of intracellular cyclic nucleotides and on the efflux of Ca/sup 2 +/ in leukocytes. Tuftsin has been chemically synthesized in various laboratories using different procedures and also is available commercially. The above features of tuftsin plus the expected low toxicity of this peptide makemore » tuftsin a very attractive agent for immunotherapy against infection and cancer. However, a great deal of caution needs to be exercised when using tuftsin due to inhibitory contaminants found in certain commercial preparations.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ;
  1. M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Inst., Houston, TX
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5764350
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Life Sci.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 28:10
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; MITOSIS; STIMULATION; PEPTIDES; RADIOIMMUNOASSAY; RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS; PHAGOCYTOSIS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; IMMUNOGLOBULINS; IMMUNOTHERAPY; IODINE 125; LEUKOCYTES; QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; BLOOD; BLOOD CELLS; BODY FLUIDS; CELL DIVISION; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES; GLOBULINS; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; IODINE ISOTOPES; ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS; ISOTOPES; MATERIALS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PROTEINS; RADIOASSAY; RADIOISOTOPES; THERAPY; TRACER TECHNIQUES; 550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics; 550201 - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques

Citation Formats

Nishioka, K, Amoscato, A A, and Babcock, G F. Tuftsin: a hormone-like tetrapeptide with antimicrobial and antitumor activities. United States: N. p., 1981. Web. doi:10.1016/0024-3205(81)90684-6.
Nishioka, K, Amoscato, A A, & Babcock, G F. Tuftsin: a hormone-like tetrapeptide with antimicrobial and antitumor activities. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-3205(81)90684-6
Nishioka, K, Amoscato, A A, and Babcock, G F. 1981. "Tuftsin: a hormone-like tetrapeptide with antimicrobial and antitumor activities". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-3205(81)90684-6.
@article{osti_5764350,
title = {Tuftsin: a hormone-like tetrapeptide with antimicrobial and antitumor activities},
author = {Nishioka, K and Amoscato, A A and Babcock, G F},
abstractNote = {A specific fraction of immunoglobulin G binds to polymorphonuclear neutrophils and stimulates their phagocytic activity. This phagocytosis-stimulating activity resides solely in a small peptide termed tuftsin, of the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg, which has been isolated from the leukophilic immunoglobulin G fraction. The physiological significance of tuftsin has been demonstrated in splenectomized patients and patients with a congenital tuftsin abnormality, in whom the low levels of tuftsin in sera (measurable by radioimmunoassay) coincides with a high incidence of infection. Tuftsin has also been shown to enhance bactericidal activity in addition to phagocytosis. Its biological activities appear to be mediated via specific tuftsin receptors which have been found on macrophages, monocytes and granulocytes. In addition, tuftsin possesses chemotactic, migration-enhancing and mitogenic properties for leukocytes and has recently been shown to enhance their anti-tumor activity in vitro as well as in vivo. Other known activities of tuftsin include effects on the activity of the hexose monophosphate shunt, on the concentrations of intracellular cyclic nucleotides and on the efflux of Ca/sup 2 +/ in leukocytes. Tuftsin has been chemically synthesized in various laboratories using different procedures and also is available commercially. The above features of tuftsin plus the expected low toxicity of this peptide make tuftsin a very attractive agent for immunotherapy against infection and cancer. However, a great deal of caution needs to be exercised when using tuftsin due to inhibitory contaminants found in certain commercial preparations.},
doi = {10.1016/0024-3205(81)90684-6},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5764350}, journal = {Life Sci.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 28:10,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 EST 1981},
month = {Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 EST 1981}
}