Staphylococcal enterotoxins: A purging experience in review, Part II1

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known pathogen that is responsible for causing a myriad of human illnesses, including skin infections, food poisoning, life-threatening shock, and various autoimmune disorders. A number of virulence factors are produced by this organism, including staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) and the related toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1), that possess superantigenic activity. Part II of this article will review the various in vitro and in vivo models that are available for studying SEs and TSST-1, thus providing invaluable tools for understanding how these toxins work and subsequently countering them via experimental vaccines and therapeutics.