The possible role of tyrosinase in malignant growth.

ABSTRACT

The sera of patients who suffer from melanoma and mammary carcinoma show higher tyrosinase activity than normal sera. The enzyme tyrosinase oxidizes tyrosine to DOPA and also catalizes the oxidation of DOPA to Melanin. The catalytic oxidation might also occur in tyrosine while it is conjugated to other amino acids in a polypeptide or a protein molecule. It is theorized here that gamma globulins and interferons are vulnerable to this catalytic oxidation which eventually denaturates them and diminishes their immunological properties.