Chemical construction of immunotoxins

Methods Mol Med. 2000:25:1-26. doi: 10.1385/1-59259-075-6:1.

Abstract

Immunotoxins (ITs) are chimeric proteins consisting of an antibody linked to a toxin. The antibody confers specificity (ability to recognize and react with the target), whereas the toxin confers cytotoxicity (ability to kill the target) (1-3). ITs have been used in both mice and humans to eliminate tumor cells, autoimmune cells, and virus-infected cells (4-6.