Abstract
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a cancer closely associated with AIDS. Crude, commercial human urinary chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) preparations have previously been found to inhibit the growth of KS cell lines in vitroand in immunodeficient mice1,2, and to induce tumour regression of KS lesions in AIDS patients3,4. Here we report the purification of a ribonuclease (RNase) from a commercial hCG preparation. The pure enzyme killed KS cells in vitro,apparently by apoptosis, suggesting that effects of commercial hCG preparations on KS cells and tumours are due, at least in part, to RNase present as a contaminant in these preparations.
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Griffiths, S., Adams, D. & Talbot, S. Ribonuclease inhibits Kaposi's sarcoma. Nature 390, 568 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/37510
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/37510
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