Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, Life Science Institute, Sunkokai Medical Corporation, Shizuoka, Japan
Manabu Watanabe is currently working as a Professor in the Department of Medicine. Manabu Watanabe has authored of many research articles/books related to Medicine. Manabu Watanabe is serving as an editorial member and reviewer of several international reputed journals. Manabu Watanabe has successfully completed his Administrative responsibilities and research interests includes Medicine.
Research Article
Purification of Syncytia-Producing Peptide as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Cancer and Viral Infection
Author(s): Michiko Koga*, Xiang-Guo Zheng, Manabu Watanabe, Sakiko Sato and Kazuhiro Tanabe
Virus-induced syncytium formation, or cell fusion, has been investigated as a potential therapeutic approach
for cancer. HVJ virus infection or transfection of membrane glycoproteins of virions have been known to cause
syncytium formation in affected cells. Also, it was known that other enveloped viruses such as Herpes viruses,
leukaemia viruses induce cell fusion. However, substances or molecules that directly cause syncytium formation have
not been identified to date. Here, we identify a peptide that efficiently induces syncytia and report its structure, as
an actionable therapeutic agent for cancer and viral infection. We purified and identified the fusion factor from the
exosomes of the cells infected with murine leukaemia virus but not producing viruses by column chromatography,
mass spectrometry, and amino acid analyses. We confirmed the peptide purified fro.. View more»