July 29, 2003
Troy, N.Y. - Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in Troy, N.Y., have been awarded new federal grant money to
develop experimental compounds that may someday extend the
period during which a person exposed to anthrax can be treated
successfully. Ravi Kane, assistant professor of chemical and
biological engineering at Rensselaer, has been awarded a grant
of $500,000 from the National Institutes of Health's National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop
inhibitors of the anthrax toxin. The inhibitors will be tested
in collaboration with Dr. Jeremy Mogridge at the University of
Toronto.
The potentially deadly disease anthrax is caused by a toxin
secreted by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis.
Antibiotics can kill the bacteria and, started early enough,
offer successful treatment in many cases. Standard antibiotic
treatment has no effect on the amount of toxin that builds up
in the blood over time, however, making speedy treatment
crucial.
Standing in the Way of Infection
"An effective anthrax inhibitor would be able to prevent the
toxin from binding to receptors on the human cell, thereby
hindering the toxin from doing any damage," Kane said. Unlike
antibiotics, which can kill the bacteria but do not affect the
toxin, an inhibitor also would be able to reduce levels of
toxin that have been released into the body. Once levels of
toxin have been lowered, standard antibiotic treatment also
would be administered to kill all remaining bacteria. "Combined
with standard antibiotic treatment, a toxin inhibitor would
enable the successful treatment of anthrax at later stages of
the disease and allow many more lives to be saved," Kane
said.
New Option for Prevention
Heightened awareness of the ability to deliver anthrax spores
through the air, combined with the high mortality rate of the
inhaled form of the disease, has led to the use of the spores
as a biological weapon. An anthrax vaccine currently is
available, but large-scale use is not practical, says Kane. "An
anthrax inhibitor also might be able to function as a
preventive agent," says Kane, "and could be used as an
alternative to passive immunotherapy." The inhibitor agent
could be more affordable and shelf-stable, making such a
treatment suitable for stockpiling.
Kane's anthrax inhibitor research is part of Rensselaer's
overall effort to advance biotechnology discoveries for the
benefit of public health, the environment, homeland security,
bioterrorism, and for positive economic development locally and
globally.
Contact: Joely Johnson
Phone: (518) 276-6531
E-mail: N/A