Description: <p><b>rMETase</b> - Recombinant Methioninase</p>
<p><b>Recommended Abbreviation:</b> rMETase</p>
<p><b>Alternative Names:</b> Recombinant methioninase, recombinant L-methionine α-deamino-γ-mercaptomethane lyase, recombinant methionine γ-lyase</p>
<p><b>Type:</b> Recombinant enzyme / metabolic anticancer therapy / methionine-depleting biologic</p>
<p><b>Source:</b> Recombinant methioninase is commonly produced from the Pseudomonas putida methioninase gene expressed in Escherichia coli.</p>
<p><b>Function:</b> rMETase enzymatically degrades methionine and lowers extracellular and systemic methionine availability. Many cancer cells display methionine dependence or methionine addiction and therefore cannot maintain proliferation when extracellular methionine is depleted, whereas normal cells are generally more capable of compensating through methionine regeneration and related metabolic pathways.</p>
<p><b>Cancer:</b> Preclinical studies demonstrate broad anticancer activity through methionine depletion, inhibition of proliferation, disruption of methylation-dependent metabolism, and cell-cycle arrest, frequently in late S/G2 phase. rMETase can sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy and has shown synergistic activity with multiple cytotoxic agents in experimental tumor models.</p>
<p><b>Clinical Status:</b> Experimental metabolic anticancer therapy. Most evidence is preclinical, although recombinant methioninase has been developed specifically for translational and clinical investigation.</p>