Citation

Kagan E. Clin. Lab. Med. 2001; 21(3): 607-18, ix-x.

Affiliation

Department of Pathology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. ekagan@usuhs.mil

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11572142

Abstract

Bioregulators are naturally occurring organic compounds that regulate diverse cellular processes. Unlike traditional disease-causing biowarfare agents that take hours or days to act, many bioregulators act within minutes of administration. If exploited for the purpose of bioterrorism, they could potentially cause profound physiologic effects. Other effects may be more subtle. The main groups of bioregulators discussed are cytokines; eicosanoids, neurotransmitters, hormones, and proteolytic enzymes. Because advances continually are being made in their development, bioregulators should be considered as weapons with increasing bioterrorism potential.

Language: en