Pitschmann Vladimír, Hon Zdeněk
Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Sítná sq. 3105, 272 01 Kladno, Czech Republic.
Oritest spol. s r.o., Staropramenná 17, 156 00 Prague, Czech Republic.
Molecules. 2016 Apr 28;21(5):556. doi: 10.3390/molecules21050556.
Toxin weapon research, development, production and the ban on its uses is an integral part of international law, with particular attention paid to the protection against these weapons. In spite of this, hazards associated with toxins cannot be completely excluded. Some of these hazards are also pointed out in the present review. The article deals with the characteristics and properties of natural toxins and synthetic analogs potentially constituting the basis of toxin weapons. It briefly describes the history of military research and the use of toxins from distant history up to the present age. With respect to effective disarmament conventions, it mentions certain contemporary concepts of possible toxin applications for military purposes and the protection of public order (suppression of riots); it also briefly refers to the question of terrorism. In addition, it deals with certain traditional as well as modern technologies of the research, synthesis, and use of toxins, which can affect the continuing development of toxin weapons. These are, for example, cases of new toxins from natural sources, their chemical synthesis, production of synthetic analogs, the possibility of using methods of genetic engineering and modern biotechnologies or the possible applications of nanotechnology and certain pharmaceutical methods for the effective transfer of toxins into the organism. The authors evaluate the military importance of toxins based on their comparison with traditional chemical warfare agents. They appeal to the ethics of the scientific work as a principal condition for the prevention of toxin abuse in wars, military conflicts, as well as in non-military attacks.
毒素武器的研究、开发、生产及使用禁令是国际法的一个组成部分，其中特别关注对这些武器的防护。尽管如此，与毒素相关的危害仍无法完全排除。本综述也指出了其中一些危害。本文论述了可能构成毒素武器基础的天然毒素和合成类似物的特性。它简要介绍了从远古时代至今军事研究和毒素使用的历史。关于有效的裁军公约，它提及了当前一些关于毒素可能用于军事目的及维护公共秩序（镇压骚乱）的概念；还简要提及了恐怖主义问题。此外，它探讨了毒素研究、合成及使用的某些传统和现代技术，这些技术可能影响毒素武器的持续发展。例如，天然来源新毒素的案例、其化学合成、合成类似物的生产、使用基因工程方法和现代生物技术的可能性，或者纳米技术及某些制药方法将毒素有效输送到生物体内的可能应用。作者通过将毒素与传统化学战剂进行比较来评估毒素的军事重要性。他们呼吁将科学工作的道德规范作为防止在战争、军事冲突以及非军事攻击中滥用毒素的主要条件。
