Immunotoxins 2016

Dear Colleagues,

Immunotoxins (IT) constitute a group of biochemical constructs that target cells with precise specificity. The rationale of IT development was based on the concept of the “magic bullet”, devised by Paul Ehrlich in the late 19th and early 20th century. ITs are composed of a carrier domain, which is able to identify and bind a cell target, and a toxic domain, which kills the cell target. ITs may be constructed using conventional chemical cross-linkers or joined via recombinant DNA technology. When constructing conventional ITs, domains are purified separately and then attached to one another with chemical linkers. In making recombinant ITs (rIT), domains are fused through gene tailoring and then expressed as a single chimeric protein. Carrier domains are usually composed of antibodies or antibody-derived fragments. Toxic domains are typically from either intact plants or they are derived from microbial toxins. Modified toxins are engineered to retain an active species, often an enzyme, with reduced unspecific toxicity. ITs have been targeted to treat a number of diseases, but mainly cancer. Understanding the mechanisms involved in IT toxicity and specificity for target cells, and overall safety are very important issues. To improve clinical outcomes, immunotoxins are being combined with so-called enhancer compounds.

Prof. Tomas Girbes
Dr. David J. Fitzgerald
Collection Editors

Submission

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed Open Access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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