title: New targets in the search for preventive and therapeutic agents for botulism.
abstract: Botulism is a severe neuroparalytic disease resulting from exposure to one of the most poisonous toxins to humans. Because of this high potency and the use of toxins as biological weapons, botulism is a public health concern and each case represents an emergency. Current therapy involves respiratory supportive care and anti-toxins administration. As a preventive measure, vaccination against toxins represents an effective strategy but is undesirable due the rarity of botulism and the effectiveness of toxins in treating several neuromuscular disorders. This paper summarizes the current issues in botulism treatment and prevention, highlighting the challenge for future researches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, National Reference Centre for Botulism, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299 - 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anniballi
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lonati
authors.forename: Alfonsina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Auricchio
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Medici
authors.forename: Carlo Alessandro
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Locatelli
mesh_terms: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D001906:Botulism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D001905:Botulinum Toxins
keywords: bacteriocins; botulinum toxin; botulism; inhibitors; microbial antagonism; prevention; therapy; vaccine