Molecular Neurosurgery with Targeted Toxins

Pioneers and leading researchers explain the theory and techniques of using targeted toxins experimentally. The highly successful use of the 192 IgG-saporin and ME20.4-saporin immunotoxins to lesion the cholinergic basal forebrain in order to model the behavior, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology of Alzheimer's disease in animals is treated in detail to give a potential user the knowledge to comfortably use the techniques involved. The uses of important new lesioning agents such as anti-DBH-saporin immunotoxin to make remarkably selective lesions of catecholaminergic neurons, hypocretin-saporin that can produce narcoleptic animals, and other saporin conjugates, such as neuropeptide-saporin conjugates for pain research and cholera toxin B chain-saporin to produce a model of CNS demyelination are explained by experts in the field. The use of targeted cytotoxins to make highly selective neural lesions for both experimental and clinical purposes has already provided important animal models for diseases such as Alzheimer's, and holds great promise for research and clinical application to pain. In Molecular Neurosurgery With Targeted Toxins, pioneers in the field describe their hands-on experience with the experimental use of these toxins. The authors focus on the highly successful use of the immunotoxins, 192 IgG-saporin and ME20.4-saporin, to lesion the cholinergic basal forebrain in order to model the behavior, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology of Alzheimer's disease in animals. Also discussed are the uses of anti-DBH-saporin immunotoxin to make remarkably selective lesions of catecholaminergic neurons, hypocretin-saporin that can produce narcoleptic animals, and other saporin conjugates, such as neuropeptide-saporin conjugates for pain research and cholera toxin B chain-saporin to produce a model of central nervous system demyelination. Overview perspectives and, in some cases, more practical details are provided that allow the reader to appreciate exactly what