HeLa acid extract (Anacardic acid treated)

Active Motif's HeLa acid extract (Anacardic acid treated) was prepared under acidic conditions from cells harvested from a cell culture of the HeLa human epithelial carcinoma cell line that cells was treated with anacardic acid. Acid extraction is performed under conditions that are optimized for solubility of histone proteins. Anacardic acid is a compound derived from the shell of a cashew nut that has been shown to have antitumorigenic properties. Recent studies demonstrate that the ability of anacardic acid to act as an inhibitor of histone acetyl transferases (HATs) may attribute to its antineoplastic activity. Although the mechanism by which anacardic acid inhibits HAT activity is unknown, it is suspected that, since anacardic acid shares structural similarities with acetyl-CoA, the HAT acetyl donor, it may function to inhibit binding of acetyl-CoA to the active site of HATs, thus blocking cellular HAT activity. The resulting decrease in acetylation of histones and other cellular proteins alters gene expression and protein function that leads to growth arrest, differentiation, and programmed cell death (apoptosis) of cells. These disruptions in normal cell function also have been shown to cause sensitization of anacardic acid treated cells to ionizing radiation. The HeLa cell line was originally derived from cells obtained in 1951 from Henrietta Lacks, a cervical cancer patient who eventually died from her cancer. The HeLa cell line is one of the oldest and most commonly utilized immortal cell lines in scientific research. These cells are highly prolific and easily sustainable, allowing for flexibility in their application in various fields of scientific research, including cancer biology, virology, and human disease. To date, over 60,000 publications across various disciplines have referenced the use of HeLa cells.