Identification of Chlorophyll a-b Binding Protein AB96 as a novel TGFβ1 binding agent

Abstract

The discovery of compounds and proteins from plants has greatly contributed to modern medicine, especially in malaria where both quinine and artemisinin have been the cornerstone of therapeutics. Here we describe the first known plant-derived cytokine binding agent. Chlorophyll a-b binding protein AB96, present to varying levels in the leaves of all chlorophyll-containing plants, binds to active TGFbeta1. Active TGFbeta1 contributes to the pathology of many infectious and neoplastic diseases and therefore, by inhibiting these processes, chlorophyll a-b binding protein opens up new approaches with therapeutic potential.