In May of 2011, Western Europe experienced a severe outbreak of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli (STEC) that culminated in more than 3200 cases and 39 deaths. While Stx is not the only virulence factor associated with STEC, it is certainly the primary determinant associated with the onset of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). At the present time, there are no clinically approved measures to neutralize Stx in individuals suffering from STEC infection. Nor are there any preventatives or therapeutics for ricin toxin. Although incidents of ricin exposure are largely unheard of, federal agencies and public health officials consider it a significant threat. It is well documented that domestic and international terrorist groups have stockpiled, and in some cases weaponized ricin with the intent of releasing it into the public sphere and causing panic, illness and/or death on a local, regional, or possibly national scale. The chapters, written by leading experts in the field, are organized so as to cover all aspects of ricin and Stx, including pathogenesis, immunity, vaccines and therapeutics. This outstanding collection of reviews will serve as an important and readily accessible resource for the research community in the coming years.

Biological toxins are an important part of our world, a reality with which we need to cope, so in parallel with understanding their mechanisms of action and thereby improving our fundamental knowledge, there are successful efforts to utilize them as therapeutics against some debilitating human and animal diseases. In view of the complexity of different types of biotoxins and the broad range of toxin structure, physiology, utility, and countermeasures including regulatory issues, it was thus aimed to compile a book on biotoxins and bioweapons. This reference work in the Toxinology handbook series gathers together knowledge from around the globe about naturally inspired and manufactured biological weapons. The authors describe how they work; how authorities may detect their presence, prevent their use, and diagnose their impacts; and the means by which medical and paramedical professionals may treat victims. Also described are how they have been used to further our knowledge and what insights they have given us into evolutionary and physiological processes. Finally, it is also discussed how these toxins can be used as therapeutics and what the implications of such therapeutics are to their use as biothreat agents. This volume provides a reference accessible to scientists, educators, and medical experts alike with an interest in biotoxins, focusing on the major toxins used as bioweapons. Regulatory agencies will also benefit from the information provided in this book. Some in the intended audience may need to understand how they elicit their effects and how we can defend ourselves against them. Others may be interested in the sometimes colorful histories that surround this subset of biotoxins that can be and, in some cases, have been used as weapons.

The Collected Papers of Paul Ehrlich, Volume I covers topics on histology, biochemistry, and pathology. The book presents topics on practice and theory of staining in histology; cytology of the blood in health and disease; and the staining of bacteria and its application to diagnosis. The text also includes topics on the requirement of the organism for oxygen and other allied biochemical studies; pharmacology, therapeutics and toxicology; and the diazobenzenesulphonic acid and dimethylaminobenzaldehyde reactions.

Where do you begin to look for a recent, authoritative article on the diagnosis or management of a particular malignancy? The few general oncology textbooks are generally out of date. Single papers in specialized journals are informative but seldom comprehensive; these are more often preliminary reports on a very limited number of patients. Certain general journals frequently publish good indepth reviews of cancer topics, and published symposium lectures are often the best overviews available. Un fortunately, these reviews and supplements appear sporadically, and the reader can never be sure when a topic of special interest will be covered. Cancer Treatment and Research is a series of authoritative volumes which aim to meet this need. It is an attempt to establish a critical mass of oncology literature covering virtually all oncology topics, revised frequently to keep the coverage up-to-date, easily available on a single library shelf or by a single personal subscription. We have approached the problem in the following fashion. First, by dividing the oncology literature into specific subdivisions such as lung cancer, genitourinary cancer, pediatric oncology, etc. Second, by asking eminent authorities in each of these areas to edit a volume on the specific topic on an annual or biannual basis. Each topic and tumor type is covered in a volume appearing frequently and predictably, discussing current diagnosis, staging, markers, all forms of treatment modalities, basic biology, and more.

Shigellosis is present all over the world. Anyone traveling in developing countries knows that the control of this invasive disease of the intestine is a priority task for physicians and public health authorities. Victims are essentially young children, and complications such as the hemolytic uremic syndrome make shigellosis a systemic disease rather than simply an infection of the colonic mucosa. However, "Westerners" should not consider shigeJlosis as an unlikely threat of the tropics. The disease arises in industrialized countries as soon as breaches in sanitation appear. A few months ago, at least 500 people developed shigellosis in northern France in an outbreak of Shigella sonnei infection due to accidental contamination of an urban water delivery system. The pathogenesis of shigellosis is an extraordinary topic of research because study of the invasion of the colonic mucosa addresses fundamental questions on. the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which a bacterial pathogen can pene trate non phagocytic cells, survive, multiply, spread in the intra cellular compartment, and eventually kill host cells. Further development of the infection within subepithelial tissues as well as the mechanisms that contribute to the eradication of this process have barely been studied.

Biological safety and biosecurity protocols are essential to the reputation and responsibility of every scientific institution, whether research, academic, or production. Every risk—no matter how small—must be considered, assessed, and properly mitigated. If the science isn't safe, it isn't good. Now in its fifth edition, Biological safety: Principles and Practices remains the most comprehensive biosafety reference. Led by editors Karen Byers and Dawn Wooley, a team of expert contributors have outlined the technical nuts and bolts of biosafety and biosecurity within these pages. This book presents the guiding principles of laboratory safety, including: the identification, assessment, and control of the broad variety of risks encountered in the lab; the production facility; and, the classroom. Specifically, Biological Safety covers protection and control elements—from biosafety level cabinets and personal protection systems to strategies and decontamination methods administrative concerns in biorisk management, including regulations, guidelines, and compliance various aspects of risk assessment covering bacterial pathogens, viral agents, mycotic agents, protozoa and helminths, gene transfer vectors, zooonotic agents, allergens, toxins, and molecular agents as well as decontamination, aerobiology, occupational medicine, and training A resource for biosafety professionals, instructors, and those who work with pathogenic agents in any capacity, Biological safety is also a critical reference for laboratory managers, and those responsible for managing biohazards in a range of settings, including basic and agricultural research, clinical laboratories, the vivarium, field study, insectories, and greenhouses.

This book describes the major achievements and discoveries relevant to bacterial protein toxins since the turn of the new century illustrated by the discovery of more than fifty novel toxins (many of them identified through genome screening). The establishment of the three-dimensional crystal structure of more than 20 toxins during the same period offers deeper knowledge of structure-activity relationships and provides a framework to understand how toxins recognize receptors, penetrate membranes and interact with and modify intracellular substrates. - Edited by two of the most highly regarded experts in the field from the Institut Pasteur, France - 14 brand new chapters dedicated to coverage of historical and general aspects of toxinology - Includes the major toxins of both basic and clinical interest are described in depth - Details applied aspects of toxins such as therapy, vaccinology, and toolkits in cell biology - Evolutionary and functional aspects of bacterial toxins evaluated and summarized - Toxin applications in cell biology presented - Therapy (cancer therapy, dystonias) discussed - Vaccines (native and genetically engineered vaccines) featured - Toxins discussed as biological weapons, comprising chapters on anthrax, diphtheria, ricin etc.

The present volume of Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology c- tains seven chapters that illuminate various aspects of a protein’s genesis and terminal fate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This area is of immediate medical relevance and has blossomed, to no small extent, because of the study of molecules central to the function of the immune system [immunogl- ulins, T cell receptors, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded products]. Similarly, the clever strategies used by bacteria or viruses to gain a foothold in the host and ensure their continued survival have uncovered altogether new cell biological principles. It is therefore ?tting that a special volume be devoted to the interplay between pathways of protein degradation in the ER and a wide variety of pathogens. The concept of quality control emerged with the appreciation that, in the case of multimeric glycoproteins, any unpaired glycoprotein subunit had great dif?culties leaving its site of synthesis—the ER—and was destroyed instead. Free immunoglobulin heavy chains were probably the earliest documented example of this kind, and were long known to cause pathology when their accumulation went unchecked. Increased knowledge of the biosynthetic pathways of glycoproteins allowed the identi?cation of the ER as an important site where such quality control decisions were made. The T cell receptor for antigen, long considered the paradigm of this mode of degradation, led the way in these early explorations.

Netter's Pediatrics, edited by Drs. Todd Florin and Stephen Ludwig, is a rich visual aid with more than 500 images by Dr. Frank Netter and other artists working in his style that will help you diagnose and care for children with common clinical conditions. This is the first time that Netter's drawings of pediatric illness are brought together in a single volume. The superb, accurate artwork accompanies up-to-date text contributed by physicians at the prestigious Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The book provides you with all the at-a-glance information you need for a quick overview of common issues from nutrition, allergy, infectious disease, and adolescent medicine, to cancer and heart disease. This user-friendly, clinical reference is also a great tool for patient and staff education. - Efficiently review key details for each condition with 500 detailed, crystal-clear images provided by Frank H. Netter and others working in the Netter tradition. - Apply dependable, concise, clinical advice from a team of physicians at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the top children's hospitals in the U.S. - Get answers at a glance during pediatric rotations when studying for exams or preparing for consultations.

Analysis of Food Toxins and Toxicants consists of five sections, providing up-to-date descriptions of the analytical approaches used to detect a range of food toxins. Part I reviews the recent developments in analytical technology including sample pre-treatment and food additives. Part II covers the novel analysis of microbial and plant toxins including plant pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Part III focuses on marine toxins in fish and shellfish. Part IV discusses biogenic amines and common food toxicants, such as pesticides and heavy metals. Part V summarizes quality assurance and the recent developments in regulatory limits for toxins, toxicants and allergens, including discussions on laboratory accreditation and reference materials.