Frog protein could become first antidote to deadly red tide toxin

video: Saxitoxin is a tiny molecule, but it can rapidly paralyze and kill by

shutting down nerve signals. UCSF researchers found the frog protein called saxiphilin (pictured) can bind tightly to the toxin's unique shape, neutralizing it before it reaches its targets in the nervous system.

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The “red tide” algal blooms that are becoming more frequent along the Pacific coast produce one of the most potent neurotoxins known: saxitoxin, or STX. The toxin accumulates in shellfish and causes paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) when consumed.

There is no antidote for STX, which was stockpiled as a chemical weapon during the Cold War. But a new UC San Francisco study is likely to change that.