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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Jun 23.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2010 Jun 18;21(4):439–476. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2010.05.002

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Basic concept of using a multimeric pore, with a built-in ‘trigger’ system to target and kill cancer cells. Monomeric peptides are attached to monoclonal antibodies that recognize tumor specific antigens on targeted cancer cells. Upon this binding, tumor specific proteases secreted by these cancer cells recognize and cleave the peptide extensions on the monomers that inhibited their assembly to pores. The resulting active peptides can form cytolytic membrane pores and kill cancer cells.