Immunocyanin is an immunotherapy drug designed to treat cancer. It is designed to stimulate the body's own immune system to fight cancer cells. Immunocyanin is a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets tumor cells and stimulates the body's own immune system to destroy them. It works by binding to the tumor cell antigen, triggering an immune response that causes the body to recognize and attack the tumor cell. Immunocyanin is currently being studied in clinical trials and has shown promising results in treating several types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and colorectal cancer.
Immunocyanin refers to a specific type of protein derived from a larger molecule called hemocyanin. Hemocyanin is a copper-containing protein found in the blood of certain invertebrates, like mollusks and crustaceans, that functions similar to hemoglobin in vertebrates by transporting oxygen throughout their bodies.
Therapeutically, immunocyanin is derived from keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), specifically extracted from the keyhole limpet (Megathura crenulata), a large sea snail. Notably, immunocyanin is not synonymous with KLH but rather a processed and purified form of KLH subunits.
Here's a breakdown of the key points about immunocyanin:
- Source: Purified subunits of Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) extracted from the keyhole limpet.
- Structure: A stable mixture of two types of protein subunits.
- Properties:
- Soluble in aqueous buffer at a specific pH range (8-10).
- Binds oxygen reversibly.
- Exhibits distinct immunological properties compared to native KLH.
- Medical use: Primarily used for intravesical immunotherapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
It's crucial to note that immunocyanin is still under investigation, and its mechanism of action in treating cancer is not fully understood.
Here's a commercially available form of immunocyanin:
- Immucothel: This is a trade name for a formulation of immunocyanin used for intravesical immunotherapy.