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ARTICLE | Translation in Brief

Taming toxins for pain

How a modified bacterial toxin could treat inflammation

June 11, 2015 7:00 AM UTC

Scientists at the Pasteur Institute have created a pain therapeutic from an ulcer-causing toxin by removing a functional group responsible for its toxic properties and leaving intact the core molecule with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. "We have tried to simplify the molecule in order to disassociate the toxic activities from the immunosuppressive activities," said Caroline Demangel, immunology group leader at Pasteur and principal investigator on the study.

Demangel's teamhad been focusing on mycolactone - a toxin secreted by Mycobacterium ulcerans - because in addition to causing tissue necrosis and skin lesions during skin infections, the compound reduces pain and local inflammation. ...