Ricin: current understanding and prospects for an antiricin vaccine

Abstract

Ricin is a potent cytotoxin that can be rapidly internalized into mammalian cells leading to cell death. The ease in obtaining the toxin and its deadly nature combine to implicate ricin as a convenient agent for bioterrorism. Research into the mechanism of toxicity, as well as strategies for treatment and protection from the toxin has been widely undertaken for a number of years. This article reviews the current understanding of the mechanism of action of the toxin, the clinical effects of ricin intoxication and how these relate to current and continuing prospects for vaccine development.

Keywords::

• enzymatic activity
• immunization
• ricin
• vaccination

Acknowledgements

The work was supported by a Wellcome Trust Program Grant (to Lynne Roberts and Michael Lord) and a UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council project grant (to Michael Lord).