Ricin potential

Shea, D. and F. Gottron (2004) Ricin Technical background and potential role in terrorism. Congressional Research Service, http //www.fas.org/irp/ crs/RS21383.pdf (accessed November 28,2009). 

Several aspects of ricin, such as its potent toxicity, lack of specific antidote, and wide availability in large quantities from castor bean meal, have contributed to the international regulation of the toxin as a potential weapon of mass destruction . If made into a partially purified material or refined into a terrorist or warfare agent, ricin could be used to expose people through air, food, or water. 

Numerous laboratory studies in mammals have demonstrated that ricin and abrin are highly toxic and potentially fatal to animals and humans. Major symptoms of both ricin and abrin poisoning are dependent on the route of exposure, the dose (or number of beans) received, or the content of toxin in the seed (or age of seed). Upon ingestion, toxicity is dependent on the degree of mastication if the bean was... 

FIGURE 25.8. (a) Ricin (10 g/ml) various concentrations of the potential chemoprotectant V-hromoacetyl-P-D-galactopyr-anosylamine (NB DG) and ricin added simultaneously with NBPDG were added to different cultures. The LDH activities were determined in culture media after a 48 h incuhation period. Values are the mean SD from at least four cultures. Values with nonidentical superscripts are significantly different (p > 0.05). (b) Ricin (10 g/ml), various concentrations of the potential chemoprotectant V-bromoacety 1- P-D-galactopyranosylamine... 

Ricin and abrin have played important roles in the history of clinical medicine and biomedical research. Ricin is commonly used as a part of immunotoxins for elinieal tumor research and application, although the detailed meehanism of its funetion is still under investigation (Stirpe and Battelli, 2006 Rao et al, 2005). At present, a major effort in biomedical research is under way to target the toxins and pursue malignant eells. Novel in vitro approaehes of using ricin toxins in cancer therapy have proven sueeessful however, further in vitro and animal studies are needed to confirm its potential (Wang et al, 2007). 

Three broad classes of warfare agents are considered organophosphate nerve agents (Newmark, 2007 Munro et al, 1994), the cyanides (Baskin et al, 2009), and a third general category that is less weaponized but whose effects are important as potential terror agents, the arsenics and ricin. 

Ricin as a potential biological threat agent has received much popular press. In 2003, suspects were arrested in London for making ricin from castor seed in their apartment (Risen and van Natta 2003). The popular press has speculated that if ricin were made, it could be used to contaminate food in military mess halls. All of these instances indicate that biological and chemical materials may be a potential terrorist weapon to compromise the safety of the military and civilian food supply or other vulnerable areas. Given the extreme toxicity of ricin, the relative ease with which it can be obtained, and the fact that references to its use have been discovered in terrorist haunts, the ability to accurately and precisely detect ricin is a critical need. 

Examples of cationic material transport on dust include the extremely toxic castor protein (ricin) and the reactor-produced radioisotopes from RDDs. Ricin as purified crystals or powder forms may be disseminated as aerosols (Audi et al. 2005). The localized dispersal of powdered ricin could potentially affect large areas due to transport in dust. Note that the dust in Figure 4.4 is severe enough to limit visibility to less than one quarter of a mile and the street lights are illuminated. Figure 4.5 is... 

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