RICIN - MECHANISM OF ACTION, DETECTION, AND INTOXICATION

The many uses of ricin for basic research and clinical studies have ma de it an intensively studied molecule. Although the exact mechanism by which the toxin kills animals is unknown, ricin kills cells by enteri ng the cytosol and inhibiting protein synthesis. In all areas of clini cal use, forensic medicine, and basic scientific inquiry, the capabili ty to detect the toxin is of primary importance. Recent efforts to pro duce a vaccine originate from a perception that this widely available toxic plant protein could be a poor man's weapon of mass destruction.