Marine Biotoxins: Novel Issues about Old Compounds

Dear Colleagues,

Human poisonings due to exposures to marine biotoxins have occurred in the past and represent naturally occurring events, that have been attracting an increasing interest from the scientific community.

The last ten years, in particular, have witnessed a growing body of knowledge on the chemistry, mechanisms of action, toxicity, ecology and distribution, as well as the health impact of marine biotoxins. Research efforts have led to a deeper understanding of many aspects of marine biotoxins and their impact on living organisms, while novel issues have been recognized. For instance, “new” toxin producers have been identified, and “old” ones are being characterized using molecular probes. The number of toxins isolated, chemically characterized and/or synthesized has increased, and new groups of biotoxins have been discovered. Likewise, the methodology for toxin detection has been continuously developed, providing both instrumental and bio-molecular options. Biochemical tools have been increasingly used to clarify the mechanisms of action of toxins, and the “omic” approaches have entered the biotoxin field. The toxicology of biotoxins has been advancing, taking into consideration the real conditions of human and animal exposure to these compounds.

It’s time to gather the information available on novel issues in marine biotoxins, to critically evaluate what we know and pinpoint the many unknowns, thereby providing a broad perspective to support the scientific community in its next efforts to understand and exploit the complexity of the chemistry and biology of marine biotoxins.

Prof. Dr. Gian Paolo Rossini
Guest Editor