Protein transduction: unrestricted delivery into all cells?

Trends Cell Biol. 2000 Jul;10(7):290-5. doi: 10.1016/s0962-8924(00)01771-2.

Abstract

Several proteins can traverse biological membranes through protein transduction. Small sections of these proteins (10-16 residues long) are responsible for this. Linking these domains covalently to compounds, peptides, antisense peptide nucleic acids or 40-nm iron beads, or as in-frame fusions with full-length proteins, lets them enter any cell type in a receptor- and transporter-independent fashion. Moreover, several of these fusions, introduced into mice, were delivered to all tissues, even crossing the blood-brain barrier. These domains thus might let us address new questions and even help in the treatment of human disease.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport / physiology
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / physiology*
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / pharmacokinetics*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacokinetics

Substances

  • Peptide Fragments
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins