This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Vernon M. Hermsen, MD; Sam F. A. Fulcher, MD; A. Michael Spiekerman, PhD; Jo Lynne Phinizy; Nicholas W. Di Tullio, MS

Arch Ophthalmol. 1990;108(7):1009-1011.

Abstract
• The proliferation and fibrous metaplasia of retinal glial and pigment epithelial cells cause proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The immunotoxin 454A12 MAB-rRA is composed of a murine monoclonal antibody, specific for the human transferrin receptor, and is chemically linked to recombinant ricin A chain, a cellular toxin. The rapidly proliferating cells take up the immunotoxin, but non-proliferating cells do not. Using a collagen-gel medium to simulate the vitreous, we have studied the effect of the immunotoxin on fibroblast proliferation in vitro. Exposure of the fibroblasts to 1000 ng of immunotoxin per milliliter of the collagen gel medium for 10 minutes kills 96% or more of the cells for 20 days. These in vitro data indicate that the immunotoxin is effective in an environment similar to the vitreous; however, in vivo studies will be necessary to prove if it is a suitable agent for the long-term prevention of cell proliferation in the human eye.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology (Drs Hermsen and Fulcher, and Ms Phinizy), and the Department of Pathology (Dr Spiekerman), Texas A&M University, Scott and White Hospital, Temple. Mr Di Tullio is a freelance medical editor and writer from Emmeryville, Calif. Dr Hermsen is now with the Bethesda Eye Institute, St Louis (Mo) University School of Medicine.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication February 23, 1990.

Reprint requests to Department of Ophthalmology, Bethesda Eye Institute, 3655 Vista Ave, St Louis, MO 63110 (Dr Hermsen).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Transferrin Receptor Expression by Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells in Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy-Reply
Jaffe et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 1991;109:1196-1196.
ABSTRACT