Cry5B

Cry5B is a pore-forming crystal protein produced by the soil bacterium *Bacillus thuringiensis*. It is being developed as a novel, safe, and highly effective anthelmintic therapeutic for the treatment of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, including hookworms (*Ancylostoma ceylanicum*, *Necator americanus*), whipworms (*Trichuris*), and large roundworms (*Ascaris*). Cry5B acts by binding selectively to invertebrate-specific glycosphingolipids and cadherin CDH-8 receptors on the apical membrane of the nematode intestine. This binding triggers oligomerization and insertion of the protein into the membrane, forming lytic pores that disrupt membrane integrity, leading to intestinal damage and death of the parasite. Because vertebrates lack the specific glycosphingolipid receptors required for Cry5B binding, the protein is non-toxic to humans and other mammals, offering a highly favorable safety profile.

Other names

Bacillus thuringiensis Cry5B ProteinCry5B proteinCry-5B proteinCry 5B proteinCry5Ba1Cry-5Ba1Cry 5Ba1recombinant Cry5B