Researchers
Make Historic Headway
in Battle Against Anthrax
(IFM) Researchers at The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
have succeeded in developing an innovative antibiotic agent that
simultaneously attacks anthrax bacteria and the toxins that they
release in the bloodstream of an infected person, Globes reported.
A description of the development was published in the prestigious
journal Angewandte Chemie’s international edition.
Prof. Timor
Baasov of the Technion Department of Chemistry, together with
Prof Chi-Huey Wong of the Scripps Research Institute Department
of Chemistry, developed the inhibiting material, which could serve
as a basis for a future drug against anthrax bacteria. The drug
attacks not only the bacteria themselves, but also the poisonous
protein that they release into the victim’s bloodstream.
The editor of Angewandte Chemie called the new development a one-two
punch and a knockout blow.
Prof. Ehud
Keinan, Dean of the Chemistry Department at Technion – Israel
Institute of Technology, said that the revolutionary development
would have far-reaching consequences for the war against terrorism.
The researchers will now continue their research on animals, in
order to develop their invention for use on human beings.