Fighting Cancer Using an Oncofetal Glycosaminoglycan-Binding Protein from Malaria Parasites

Mette Ø Agerbæk; Sara Bang-Christensen; Ali Salanti

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2018.11.004

Fighting Cancer Using an Oncofetal Glycosaminoglycan-Binding Protein from Malaria Parasites

Trends Parasitol. 2019 Mar;35(3):178-181. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.11.004. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Authors

Mette Ø Agerbæk¹, Sara Bang-Christensen¹, Ali Salanti²

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
² Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: salanti@sund.ku.dk.

PMID: 30551869
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.11.004

Abstract

Malaria research has led to the discovery of oncofetal chondroitin sulfate, which appears to be shared between placental trophoblasts and cancer cells and can be detected by the evolutionary refined malaria protein VAR2CSA. Interestingly, using recombinant VAR2CSA to target oncofetal chondroitin sulfate shows promise for novel cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

Keywords: VAR2CSA; cancer; oncofetal chondroitin sulfate; placental malaria.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Antigens, Neoplasm / metabolism*
Antigens, Protozoan / genetics
Antigens, Protozoan / metabolism
Chondroitin Sulfates / metabolism
Neoplasms / diagnosis*
Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Plasmodium / chemistry*
Recombinant Proteins / genetics
Recombinant Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

Antigens, Neoplasm
Antigens, Protozoan
Recombinant Proteins
VAR2CSA protein, Plasmodium falciparum
oncofetal antigens
Chondroitin Sulfates