Botulism breakthrough? Taming botulinum toxin to deliver therapeutics
(Boston Children's Hospital) Currently there's no treatment for botulism once the toxin gets into neurons. This novel treatment neutralized the toxin with a second, modified botulinum toxin that delivered a mini antibody into the cells - reversing paralysis in mice. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - January 8, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Decoy toxin harnessed to fight botulism
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - January 7, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Servick, K. Tags: Cell Biology, Medicine, Diseases In Depth Source Type: news
CytoDel announces successful intra-neuronal antibody delivery without a viral vector
(CytoDel Inc) Preclinical data published inScience Translational Medicine showed that post-symptomatic administration of Cyto-111 produced antidotal rescue in three animal species following a lethal botulism challenge. Study authors concluded, " atoxic BoNT derivatives can be harnessed to deliver therapeutic protein moieties to the neuronal cytoplasm where they bind and neutralize intracellular targets in experimental models. The generalizability of this platform might enable delivery of antibodies and other protein-based therapeutics to previously inaccessible intraneuronal targets. " (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - January 6, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Toxin chimeras slip therapeutics into neurons to treat botulism in animals
(American Association for the Advancement of Science) Taking advantage of the chemical properties of botulism toxins, two teams of researchers have fashioned non-toxic versions of these compounds that can deliver therapeutic antibodies to treat botulism, a potentially fatal disease with few approved treatments. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - January 6, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
New strategy to fight botulinum toxin - expert available
(Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center) Published research shows a new " Trojan horse " approach that produces strong antidotal efficacy in treating lethal botulism. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - January 6, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Notes from the Field: Botulism Type B After Intravenous Methamphetamine Use - New Jersey, 2020
This report describes the risk for wound botulism among all persons who inject drugs. (Source: CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)
Source: CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - October 1, 2020 Category: American Health Tags: Botulism MMWR Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report Source Type: news
Children ’ s Robitussin And Dimetapp Cough Medicines Recalled For Potential Overdose Risks
(CNN) — Parents take note: GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has voluntarily recalled three lots of its children’s cough syrups — Children’s Robitussin Honey Cough and Chest Congestion DM and Children’s Dimetapp Cold and Cough — due to the products having incorrect dosing cups in their packaging.
That means parents might accidentally overdose a child by putting too much syrup in the cup.
Symptoms of overdose of either product may include impaired coordination, elevated blood pressure, dizziness, seizure, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hallucinations, among other conc...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - June 19, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Health – CBS Boston Tags: Consumer Health News CNN Cough Syrup Recall Source Type: news
Ultraviolet Light Treats Influenza?
The healing power of ultraviolet light (UV) has flown under the radar for decades. Yet, it’s one of the most powerful detoxifying agents known to man. It kills bacteria and viruses and can be used in a clinical setting.
The therapeutic benefits of light have been known for millennia. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, believed light was essential to balance the body and emotions.
And there is good reason why, during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, medics discovered that severely ill patients had hugely better recovery rates when they were nursed outside and had regular exposure to sunlight.1
You see, UV r...
Source: Al Sears, MD Natural Remedies - May 21, 2020 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Dr.A.Sears Tags: Health Source Type: news
Vaccines, Antibodies and Drug Libraries. The Possible COVID-19 Treatments Researchers Are Excited About
In early April, about four months after a new, highly infectious coronavirus was first identified in China, an international group of scientists reported encouraging results from a study of an experimental drug for treating the viral disease known as COVID-19.
It was a small study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, but showed that remdesivir, an unapproved drug that was originally developed to fight Ebola, helped 68% of patients with severe breathing problems due to COVID-19 to improve; 60% of those who relied on a ventilator to breathe and took the drug were able to wean themselves off the machines after 18...
Source: TIME: Health - April 14, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Alice Park Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Source Type: news
Blood Plasma Treatment for Coronavirus Set to Get Its First Trial Run in New York
The New York Blood Center (NYBC) is the first blood-gathering organization in the U.S. to collect plasma from COVID-19 patients to use as a possible treatment for the disease.
Before antibiotics rendered the practice moot, it was common to treat infectious bacterial diseases by infusing the blood of recovered patients into those struggling with infection. That approach has also been tried against viral infections like H1N1 influenza, SARS and MERS, with inconsistent success. Some patients benefited, but other did not and doctors don’t have a clear understanding of why. But during an evolving pandemic like COVID-19, p...
Source: TIME: Health - March 26, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Alice Park Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Source Type: news
Botulinum toxin as biological warfare agent: poisoning, diagnosis and countermeasures - Pohanka M.
Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum and some other relative species. It causes lethal disease called botulism. It can enter body via infections by Clostridium (e.g. wound and children botulism) or by a direct contact with the ... (Source: SafetyLit)
Source: SafetyLit - March 2, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Poisoning Source Type: news
Smoked Salmon Recalled for Botulism Risk
The recalled products were sold in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. (Source: WebMD Health)
Source: WebMD Health - November 8, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Notes from the Field: Botulism Type E After Consumption of Salt-Cured Fish - New Jersey, 2018
An emergency department in New Jersey treated two patients for suspected foodborne botulism associated with eating uneviscerated salt-cured fish. (Source: CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)
Source: CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - November 7, 2019 Category: American Health Tags: Botulism Foodborne Disease MMWR Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report Source Type: news
Salmon caviar recalled due to botulism fears
Product sold in four states is possibly tainted with toxin that can cause life-threatening illness or death (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)
Source: Health News: CBSNews.com - August 16, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Medical News Today: Everything you need to know about infant botulism
Infant botulism is an illness that can occur when a baby ingests the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It causes a range of symptoms and can be fatal without treatment. Learn more here. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - July 2, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pediatrics / Children's Health Source Type: news
