Cell secretion from the adult lamprey supraneural body tissues possesses cytocidal activity against tumor cells

The supraneural body was identified in the adult lamprey, and its secretions induced the death of a variety of tumor cells but had no effect on normal cells. The cell secretions from different lamprey tissues were separated, and these secretions killed human tumor cells to varying degrees. The cell secretions induced remarkable cell morphological alterations such as cell blebbing, and the plasma membrane was destroyed by the secretions. In addition, the secretions induced morphological alterations of the mitochondria, cytoskeletal structure, and endoplasmic reticulum, eventually leading to cell death. These observations suggest the presence of a novel protein in the lamprey and the possibility of new applications for the protein in the medical field. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40064-015-1270-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.