I didn't know that (the bolded part), but then there are just too many things I don't know:
Reported December 31, 2003
Inhibitor Could Stop Anthrax
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers have identified a group of molecules that may inhibit a deadly toxin associated with inhalational anthrax.
Investigators from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School analyzed trillions of peptides to identify the active agent in the anthrax toxin. They then identified small molecule inhibitors they say could deactivate the toxin.
Researchers say these findings may eventually lead to the development of a protease inhibitor drug, which could treat anthrax at later stages of the disease -- a point when antibiotics alone are not effective. Because the initial symptoms of the disease -- fever, cough and chest pain -- mimic symptoms of colds and the flu, early diagnosis is extremely difficult. As a result, researchers say about 90 percent of all inhalational anthrax cases are fatal.
Lewis Cantley, Ph.D., from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, says, “Unlike most types of bacteria, Bacillus anthracis has the ability to produce large amounts of a toxin that can kill the patient even months after antibiotics have destroyed the bacteria. This toxin is released within days of the initial infection and is impervious to antibiotics.”
Researchers say protease inhibitors have gained popularity in recent years, especially with the treatment of HIV infections. The drugs work by disabling native protease enzymes and locking them, so they are no longer active.
Cantley says, “There could be a number of advantages to taking this approach in attacking inhalational anthrax. Unlike an anti-serum, which would require that whole populations be vaccinated, a therapeutic combination of antibiotics and protease inhibitor drugs wouldn’t have to be used except in the incidence of actual disease. This approach would not only reduce the risk of side effects, but could also prove cost effective.”
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: ivanhoe.com.
SOURCE: Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Jan. 2004 |
