合成分子能发挥抗体的功能

A Yale University lab has crafted the first synthetic ¹ molecules ² that have both the targeting and response functions of antibodies. The new molecules -- synthetic antibody mimics ³ (SyAMs) -- attach themselves simultaneously ⁴ to disease cells and disease-fighting cells. The result is a highly targeted immune response, similar to the action of natural human antibodies., ,"Unlike antibodies, however, our molecules are synthetic organic compounds that are approximately one-twentieth the size of antibodies," said David A. Spiegel, a professor of chemistry at Yale whose lab developed the molecules. "They are unlikely to cause unwanted immune reactions due to their structure, are thermally ⁵ stable, and have the potential to be administered orally, just like traditional, small-molecule drugs.", ,Spiegel and his team describe the research in a paper published online Dec. 16 by the Journal of the American Chemical Society., ,The paper looks specifically at SyAM molecules used to attack prostate cancer. Called SyAM-Ps, they work first by recognizing cancer cells and binding ⁷ with a specific protein on their surface. Next, they also bind ⁶ with a receptor on an immune cell. This induces a targeted response that leads to the destruction of the cancer cell., ,Spiegel said the process of synthesizing and optimizing ⁸ the structure of the molecules required considerable time and effort. "We now know that synthetic molecules of intermediate size possess perhaps the most important functional ⁹ properties of antibodies -- targeting and stimulation ¹⁰ of immune cells," he said., ,"It's also noteworthy that molecules of such a small size can bring together two objects as enormous as cells, and trigger a specific functional response, entirely ¹¹ as a result of specific receptor interactions," Spiegel added., ,Beyond their potential for treating prostate cancer, SyAMs may have applications for treating other forms of cancer, HIV and various bacterial ¹² diseases., ,Spiegel also is a member of Yale Cancer Center.