Selective killing of tumor cells using EGF or TGF alpha-Pseudomonas exotoxin chimeric molecules.

Many types of cancer cells display aberrantly high numbers of EGF receptors on their surface. We have targeted these cells for elimination by combining the cell binding ability of either epidermal growth factor or transforming growth factor type alpha with the potent cell killing activity of Pseudomonas exotoxin. These chimeric molecules are formed either by chemical conjugation of the two proteins or by expression of a gene fusion into a product containing both proteins. In this review, we show that these chimeric toxins are extremely cytotoxic to a variety of cancer cell lines.