Antitoxin peptides inhibit clostridium difficile

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have discovered a class of antitoxin peptides that inhibit a critical clostridium difficile virulence factor.

The lead peptide inhibits cytotoxicity of clostridium difficile toxin B on CHO-K1 cells through a structural conformational change that subsequently prevents the toxins from entering host cells. This technology presents a pathway for the development of novel peptide inhibitors for treatment of clostridium difficile associated disease.