Toxohormone

Literature References: Name given in 1948 by Nakahara and Fukuoka to a factor produced by living cancer cells and released into the circulation to produce decreases in liver catalase activity, tryptophan pyrrolase activity, liver ferritin and plasma iron. See Nakahara, Fukuoka, Jpn. J. Cancer Res. 40, 45 (1949). This tumor-specific concept has been questioned: Greenfield, Meister, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 11, 997 (1951); Olivares et al., Science 157, 327 (1967); Kampschmidt, Upchurch, Proc. Soc. Exp. Med. Biol. 127, 632 (1968). Described as a polypeptide of low mol wt having 30-40 amino acid residues of which 12-13 are different, and with a high content of glycine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine and leucine. Amino acid and lipid composition of a highly purified toxohormone prepd from human malignant tissue: Yunoki, Griffin, Cancer Res. 21, 537 (1961); from cell-free fluid of ascites sarcoma 180: H. Masuno et al., ibid. 41, 284 (1981). Reviews: W. Nakahara, F. Fukuoka, Chemistry of Cancer Toxin Toxohormone (C. C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1961) 75 pp; Nakahara, Methods Cancer Res. 2, 203-237 (1967); Olivares, Kampschmidt in Oncology, Proc. Int. Cancer Congr., 10th, Houston 1970 3, 158-170 (1971); S. Fujii, Gann Monogr. Cancer Res. 24, 215-222 (1979).