toxins
Opinion/Hypothesis | Therapeutics and PreventionQuestionable Efficacy of Therapeutic Antibodies in the Treatment of AnthraxInhalational anthrax caused by Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming Gram-positive bacterium, is a highly lethal infection. Antibodies targeting the protective antigen (PA) binding component of the toxins have recently been authorized as an adjunct to antibiotics, although no conclusive evidence demonstrates that anthrax antitoxin therapy has any significant benefit. We...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionTRAIL (CD253) Sensitizes Human Airway Epithelial Cells to Toxin-Induced Cell DeathRicin toxin is a biothreat agent that is particularly damaging to lung tissue following inhalation. A hallmark of ricin exposure is widespread inflammation and concomitant destruction of the airway epithelium. In this study, we investigated the possible interaction between ricin and known proinflammatory cytokines associated with lung tissue. Using an established human airway epithelial cell line, we demonstrate that epithelial cell...