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The intent of this volume of Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology was to bring together a collection of in-depth and cutting edge reviews that highlight our current understanding of the biology of ricin and Shiga toxin (Stx), with the long term goal of advancing the development of countermeasures against these toxic agents.  In May of 2011, Western Europe experienced a severe outbreak of 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. As the title of this volume indicates, 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.   .

Antigens and antibodies. --- Chemical agents (Munitions) -- Toxicology. --- Ricin. --- Toxins. --- Verocytotoxins. --- Ricin --- Verocytotoxins --- Chemical agents (Munitions) --- Immunoglobulins --- Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 2 --- Enterotoxins --- Plant Lectins --- Bacterial Toxins --- Albumins --- Ribosome Inactivating Proteins --- Proteins --- Toxins, Biological --- Lectins --- Biological Factors --- N-Glycosyl Hydrolases --- Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins --- Plant Proteins --- Glycoside Hydrolases --- Chemicals and Drugs --- Hydrolases --- Enzymes --- Enzymes and Coenzymes --- Shiga Toxins --- Biology --- Health & Biological Sciences --- Microbiology & Immunology --- Pharmacy, Therapeutics, & Pharmacology --- Toxicology --- Immunotherapy. --- Vaccines. --- Therapeutic immunology --- Natural toxicants --- Toxicants, Natural --- Toxins and antitoxins --- Castor bean lectin --- Ricinus lectin --- Medicine. --- Pharmacology. --- Biomedicine. --- Pharmacology/Toxicology. --- Drug effects --- Medical pharmacology --- Medical sciences --- Chemicals --- Chemotherapy --- Drugs --- Pharmacy --- Clinical sciences --- Medical profession --- Human biology --- Life sciences --- Pathology --- Physicians --- Physiological effect --- Biologicals --- Clinical immunology --- Therapeutics --- Antigens --- Metabolites --- Poisons --- Antitoxins --- Detoxification (Health) --- Plant lectins --- Plant toxins --- Toxalbumins --- Toxicology. --- Medicine --- Pharmacology --- Poisoning

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Targeted therapy has developed significantly in the last one and half decades, prescribing specific medications for treatment of particular diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. One of the most exciting recent developments in targeted therapies was the isolation of disease-specific molecules from natural resources, such as animal venoms and plant metabolites/toxins, for use as templates for new drug motif designs. In addition, the study of venom proteins/peptides and toxins naturally targeted mammalian receptors and demonstrated high specificity and selectivity towards defined ion channels of cell membranes. Research has also focsed intensely on receptors. The focus of this Special Issue of Toxins addressed the most recent advances using animal venoms, such as frog secretions, bee/ant venoms and plant/fungi toxins, as medicinal therapy. Recent advances in venom/toxin/immunotoxins for targeted cancer therapy and immunotherapy, along with using novel disease-specific venom-based protein/peptide/toxin and currently available FDA-approved drugs for combinationtreatments will be discussed. Finally, we included an overview of select promising toad/snake venom-based peptides/toxins potentially able to address the forthcoming challenges in this field. Both research and review articles proposing novelties or overviews, respectively, were published in this Special Issue after rigorous evaluation and revision by expert peer reviewers.

cane toad --- n/a --- B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma --- Malaysian cobras --- complement system --- decay accelerating factor --- neuroblastoma --- atopic dermatitis --- complement dependent cytotoxicity --- antioxidant enzymes --- bacterial adhesion --- cancer therapy --- N. kaouthia --- anuran skin secretion --- frog --- Apis mellifera syriaca --- solid phase extraction --- bee venom phospholipase A2 (bvPLA2) --- disintegrin --- toad toxins --- immunotoxins --- ribosome-inactivating proteins --- antimicrobial peptide (AMP) --- drug design --- Moxetumomab pasudotox --- snake venom --- antiviral activity --- in vitro effects --- bombesin-related peptide --- oxidative stress biomarkers --- half-life --- blood vessel formation --- target therapy --- 2 --- MYCN --- indolealkylamines --- Huachansu --- membrane attack complex --- bouganin --- bee venom --- SEM --- anticancer activity --- antimicrobial peptide --- house dust mite extract (DFE) --- mannose receptor --- O. hannah --- bicarinalin --- gastric cells --- melittin --- LC-ESI-MS --- dermaseptin --- smooth muscle --- apoptosis --- anticancer --- N. sumatrana --- Helicobacter pylori --- inflammation --- immunotherapy --- atopic dermatitis (AD) --- immunotoxin --- mantle cell lymphoma --- clearance --- mass spectrometry --- Bougainvillea --- rRNA N-glycosylase activity --- fungal toxin --- skin inflammation --- targeted therapy --- 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) --- Bee venom --- VEGF --- Chansu --- bufadienolides --- obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) --- BLF1 --- antimicrobial activity --- orellanine --- VB6-845 --- acute lymphoblastic leukemia --- ribosome-inactivating protein --- CD206 --- molecular cloning --- cancer --- CD22 --- eIF4A --- obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)