Anti toxins principle and their uses advantages and disadvantages

Antitoxins ppt

1. Antitoxins PHARMACOGNOSY (PHARM.D-406). MENTOR: DR.NAYAB NAEEM. GROUP # 03 GROUP MEMBERS: TALHA RAFIQUE. (2019-ag-5515) SHAH JAHAN. (2019-ag-5486) SUBHAN ALI. (2019-ag-5481) M.ISMAIL. (2019-ag-5482) AMEER HAMZA (2019-ag-5493) ZAIN-UL-ABIDEEN. (2019-ag-5476) ALI RAZA. (2019-ag-5497)

2. DESCRIPTION: Antitoxins are antibodies that bind to the toxin itself (not the bacterium producing it) and either cause its rapid removal or block its active site. (The Immune Response,2006,ScienceDirect.) Antitoxin is an antibody that is capable of neutralizing the specific toxin (such as a specific causative agent of disease) that stimulated its production in the body and is produced in animals for medical purposes by injection of a toxin or toxoid with the resulting serum being used to counteract the toxin in other individuals. (Merriam Webster.)

3. An antitoxin is an antibody with the ability to neutralize a specific toxin. The first antitoxin, to diphtheria, was discovered in 1890 by Emil von Behring and Shibasaburo Kitasato , for which Behring received the 1901 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. Today, antitoxins are used in the treatment of botulism, diphtheria, dysentery, gas gangrene, and tetanus If the toxin is a venom, the antitoxin formed, or the antiserum containing it, is called an antivenin. Antibodies circulate , attack and neutralize antigens that are identical to the one that triggered the immune response. Antibodies attack antigens by binding to them. The binding of an antibody to a toxin, can neutralize the poison simply by changing its chemical composition; such antibodies are called antitoxins. (Britannica.)

4. Vaccines  are substances administered to generate a protective immune response. They can be live attenuated  or  killed. Toxoids are inactivated bacterial toxins. They retain the ability to stimulate the formation of  antitoxins , which are antibodies directed against the bacterial toxin. Antitoxin neutralizes any toxin that is unbound to the CNS or yet to be formed. Therefore the timing of administration in relation to the onset of the disease is essential to its effectiveness. (ScienceDirect Journals & Books).

5. SOURCES OF ANTI-TOXINS: Antitoxins are produced by injecting an animal with toxin; the animal, most commonly a horse, is given repeated small doses of toxin until a high concentration of the antitoxin builds up in the blood. The resulting highly concentrated preparation of antitoxins is called an antiserum. There are many types of anti-toxins depending on the sources .Some of them are discussed below: BOTULISM (BOTULINIUM) ANTI-TOXIN: It is an equine anti-toxin (obtained from the blood of healthy horses) against the toxins produced by A,B or E strains of Clostridium botulinium for treatment of botulism administered intravenously.(The disease begins with weakness, blurred vision, feeling tired, and trouble speaking).

6. DIPHTHERIA ANTI-TOXIN: It is also an equine anti-toxin from horses immunized against Diphtheria toxin and is administered intravenously or intramuscularly to the suspected patients. TETANUS ANTI-TOXINS: It is obtained from blood serum or plasma of healthy animals immunized against tetanus toxin . It is used for treatment and prevention of tetanus disease. GAS-GANGRENE ANTI-TOXINS: It is prepared from blood of healthy animals immunized against gas producing organisms of genus Clostridium. (Slideshare,toxins & ScienceDirect.)

7. PREPARATION: Antitoxin should be administered as soon as the condition is suspected. Clear evidence exists that mortality rates are higher in children who receive antitoxin late. The antitoxin is made in horses, and a test dose should be given to assess for possible allergy .  In the United States, the antitoxin is available only through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In some other countries, less purified antitoxin is available but cannot be given intravenously. The preparation of dose of antitoxin is related to the severity of the disease and not to the size of the patient .

8. FOR EXAMPLE: DIPHTHERIA TREATMENT. Antitoxin ( is produced from horses by injections of formaldehyde-inactivated DT(toxin), like that used in the human vaccine. Antitoxin was first used to treat diphtheria in 1891 and has a clinical efficacy of 97%. Antitoxin neutralizes the unbound exotoxin (DT) and is very effective in conjunction with antibiotic therapy, such as erythromycin. Once a cell internalizes DT, however, cell death is unavoidable. For this reason, antitoxin must be administered as soon as possible, and is usually given before the laboratory confirmation of infection. (ScienceDirect Journals & Books).

9. STRUCTURE AND MECHANISM: Antitoxins  commonly form dimeric proteins, each monomer is usually composed of the N-terminal domain required for dimerization and DNA binding and the C-terminal domain for toxin binding . The catalytic site of the toxin is sterically blocked by the C-terminal region of the  antitoxin . (National Center for Biotechnology Information,NCBI)

10. TOXIN-ANTITOXIN SYSTEMS: Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are important genetic modules composed by two elements: a toxin, that is always a protein, and an antitoxin, that can be a RNA or a protein and neutralizes the toxic effect of toxin. These systems are widespread in bacteria and archaea, found on plasmids and chromosomes. In general, the antitoxin is less stable than the toxin and is rapidly degraded in special conditions, leaving the toxin free to act on its cellular targets. TA modules are important in several events in cell physiology such as plasmid maintenance, stress resistance, protection from bacteriophages and acting on crucial cellular processes including translation, replication, cytoskeleton formation and membrane integrity. (Academic Journals. African Journal of Biotechnology.)

11. ANTI-TOXIN MANAGEMENT: Management of the poisoned or overdosed patients seeks to prevent the absorption and further exposure to the agent. Treatment begins with first aid at the scene and continues in the emergency department and often in the intensive care unit(ICU). Advanced general management includes further steps to prevent absorption and enhance elimination of the agent . Anti-toxins , anti-venoms and antidotes might be administered.

12. USES OF ANTIOXINS: Antitoxins  are  used  to treat or prevent diseases such as tetanus, which is caused by biological toxins. Antivenom is produced by injecting a small (safe) amount of that particular venom into an animal and once that animal makes antibodies against the venom, the blood is drawn, purified and  used  to treat bites, etc. Today,  antitoxins  are  used in  the treatment of botulism, diphtheria, dysentery, gas gangrene, and others. They neutralize toxicity and overdoses of biological toxins (mostly bacterial) and prevent diseases.