Cytotoxic activity of an interleukin 6-Pseudomonas exotoxin fusion protein on human myeloma cells.

A chimeric toxin composed of human interleukin 6 (IL-6) attached to a portion of Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE) devoid of its own cell recognition domain has been produced in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein (IL-6-PE40) is cytotoxic to a human myeloma cell line expressing IL-6 receptors but has no effect on IL-6 receptor-negative cells. The specificity of IL-6-PE40 cytotoxicity was demonstrated through competition with excess IL-6 and neutralization with an antibody to IL-6. IL-6-PE40 may be useful in the selective elimination of myeloma cells and other cells with high numbers of IL-6 receptors.