Tag: Taming

Botulism breakthrough? Taming botulinum toxin to deliver therapeutics

While rare, botulism can cause paralysis and is potentially fatal. It is caused by nerve-damaging toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum—the most potent toxins known. These toxins are often found in contaminated food (home canning being a major culprit). Infants can also develop botulism from ingesting C. botulinum spores in honey, soil, or dust; the bacterium

Taming an unruly target in diabetes

Focusing on a simple hormone in us all, a Yale researcher has found specific forms of it that poke toxic holes in cells—a discovery that he is leveraging into a treatment for patients with diabetes. The research, published April 3 in Nature Communications, is also central to the recent awarding of two grants totaling $600,000