Scientists discover first-ever antidote to red tide toxin

UC San Francisco researchers found a frog protein called saxiphilin neutralizes saxitoxin, the toxin from red tide algae that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Saxiphilin acts as a molecular sponge, binding to saxitoxin in the bloodstream and preventing it from attacking nerve and muscle cells.

Experiments on mice showed saxiphilin can prevent and even reverse lethal poisoning, offering a potential antidote for paralytic shellfish poisoning.

The study was led by Daniel Minor of UCSF’s Cardiovascular Research Institute and published in Nature Communications.

Saxiphilin occurs naturally in bullfrogs and other frogs, and previous attempts at an antidote had failed.