Mucosal targeting molecule

The toxicity of formaldehyde is route-dependent. Irritation at the point of contact is seen by inhalation, oral, and dermal routes. High doses are cytotoxic and result in degeneration and necrosis of mucosal and epithelial cell layers. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that toxic effects are mediated by formaldehyde itself and not by metabolites. No specific target molecule has been identified, although DNA-protein cross links have been identified (Casanova and Heck 1987). As discussed in... 

LeBlanc, J.G., Aubry, C., Cortes-Perez, N.G., et al. (2013) Mucosal targeting of therapeutic molecules using genetically modified lactic acid bacteria an update. FEMS Microbiol Lett 344,1-9. 

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