Compounds which bind to toxins associated with enteric bacterial infection, compositions including the compounds, methods for the neutralization of toxins in a patient, and methods for the diagnosis of bacterial and viral infections are disclosed. Toxins which can be bound by the compounds include pentameric toxins, for example SLTs, such as those from salmonella, camylobacter and other bacteria, verotoxins from E. coli, cholera toxin, clostridium difficile toxins A and B, bacterial pili from enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and viral lectins such as viral hemagglutinins. The compounds include a core molecule bound to a plurality of linker arms, which in turn are bound to a plurality of bridging moieties, which in turn are bound to at least one, and preferably, two or more ligands which bind to the toxin. The presence of a plurality of bridged dimers of the ligands is responsible for the increased binding affinity of the compounds relative to the ligands themselves. In one embodiment, the compounds, when administered in a timely fashion to a patient suffering from enteric E. coli infection, inhibit progression of this infection into hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
本文披露了与肠道细菌感染相关的毒素结合的化合物,包括这些化合物的组合物,中和患者体内毒素的方法,以及用于诊断细菌和病毒感染的方法。这些化合物能够结合的毒素包括五聚毒素,例如来自沙门氏菌、弯曲杆菌和其他细菌的SLTs,大肠杆菌的毒素,霍乱毒素,难辨梭菌毒素A和B,肠致病性大肠杆菌(EP
EC)和肠毒素原性大肠杆菌(E
TEC)的细菌纤毛以及病毒凝集素如病毒血凝素。这些化合物包括一个核心分子,与多个连接臂相结合,这些连接臂又与多个桥接基团相结合,这些桥接基团又与至少一个结合毒素的
配体相结合,最好是两个或更多个
配体。
配体的多个桥接二聚体的存在使得这些化合物相对于
配体本身具有更高的结合亲和力。在一种实施例中,当及时向患有肠道大肠杆菌感染的患者投与这些化合物时,能够抑制该感染进展为溶血性尿毒症综合征(HUS)。