Chimera (protein)

A chimera  (or chimeric protein) is a human-engineered or in vivo mutated protein that is encoded by a nucleotide sequence made by a splicing together of two or more complete or partial genes or cDNA. The pieces used may be from different species. One example is the Philadelphia chromosome mutation which leads to Chronic myelogenous leukemia in humans.

Chimeric proteins can be manufactured with toxins or antibodies attached to them in order to study disease development. Mostly, these chimeras are generated by overlap extension PCR or by ligating two pieces of cDNA and are then cloned into a plasmid, that is able to express the chimeric gene in a cellular environment.

Chimeric drugs
Although not so known, some chimeric drugs are available on the market. Most known chimeric proteins are TNFα blockers, such as Etanercept, Infliximab, and Adalimumab.