uni'wissen 1-2013_ENG

Clostridia are a real nuisance: The bacteria can produce a whole arsenal of toxins. Some clostridia carry toxins that lead to tetanus; others produce the botulinum toxin, which can cause food poisoning and – under the trade name Botox – smoothen out wrinkles. Prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus Aktories studies clostridia toxins that are less wellknown than these but no less danger ous. Several of them could potentially be used to develop new medicinal agents. The toxin in the gas gangrene pathogen Clostridium perfringens, for instance, has what it takes to become a power ful agent against cancer. The Freiburg researcher wants to harness this potential. In the case of Clostridium difficile, on the other hand, he wants to deactivate a toxin that can lead to a lifethreat ening infection of the intestine. Poisoning and Healing by Jürgen Schickinger “C. difficile is one of the most dangerous hospital germs” “C. difficile is one of the most dangerous hos pital germs,” says Aktories. Five to ten percent of the victims die from the infection. With the help of his research team, the pharmaceutical and medical researcher from the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology recently revealed how the C. difficile toxin CDT binds to intestinal cells. Now the team is hunting down the substance that blocks this binding site. “This could help us to make the course of an infection with C. difficile consider ably milder.” The optimal substance for a drug The pharmaceutical and medical researcher Klaus Aktories wants to detoxify bacterial toxins or use them to develop new medicinal agents Poisoning and Healing The pharmaceutical and medical researcher Klaus Aktories wants to detoxify bacterial toxins or use them to develop new medicinal agents 36

uni'wissen 1-2013_ENG

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