[New drugs that prevent cytotoxicity of Shiga toxins]

Abstract

Shiga toxin(Stx) produced by enterohemorrhagic E. coli is the virulence factor that causes not only enterohemorrhagic colitis but also fatal complications, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. To prevent the complications, new strategies targeted to Stx have been tested, mostly using mimics of the trisaccharide structure of neutral lipid Gb3, the receptor for Stx. One group of such new drugs are agents that can bind to Stx in gastrointestinal tract and prevent its spread to extraintestinal sites, and the other group are water-soluble neutralizers that suppress Stx cytotoxicity in the circulation. Although most of these are now under the laboratory investigations, one of these drugs may hopefully be utilized clinically to prevent hemolytic uremic syndrome in future.