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New Anthrax Cure Could End Resistant Biowar Threat
Reuters ^
| Wed Aug 21, 2:32 PM ET
| Peter Graff
Posted on 08/21/2002 1:25:26 PM PDT by anymouse
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Who says genetic engineering is bad?
But if this lysin virus destroys Anthrax cells so readily, one wonders what it does to human cells? Hopefully this bug only likes Anthrax and doesn't mutate itself into liking us instead.
More research is needed, but jolly good show.
1
posted on
08/21/2002 1:25:26 PM PDT
by
anymouse
To: anymouse
this recieves one big...HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM from me
To: My Favorite Headache
"The scientists also found that within seconds of being attacked by the lysin, the anthrax bacteria produced an easily detected chemical called ATP"
Correct me if I am wrong. ATP = Adenosine Triphosphate.
Don't all living cells produce this?
3
posted on
08/21/2002 1:46:23 PM PDT
by
jbstrick
To: anymouse
The treatment saved nearly 70 percent of mice injected with the anthrax-like bacteria, which would normally kill the rodents within five hours. Wow. We can save 70% of Americans, and that ain't bad. Although it would put something of a dent into the real estate market.
4
posted on
08/21/2002 1:47:37 PM PDT
by
andy_card
To: anymouse
Yeah, whats nice about this (assuming that it doesn't turn out to be the Andromeda Strain and kill us all)is that if this approach works for other pathogens, this could potentially replace antibiotics.
Thanks to years of overprescription, many once easily treatable diseases like Staph and TB now have antibiotic-resistant strains. We've about run out of antibiotics of last resort.
To: Mitchell; aristeides; dogbyte12; The Great Satan
fyi
To: anymouse
Some scientists are experimenting with crocodile blood. It seems crocodile don't get bacterial infections because of a protein in their blood that explodes bacteria.
7
posted on
08/21/2002 2:02:55 PM PDT
by
techcor
To: Fred Mertz
Interesting idea. But I wonder what these viruses will do to the bacteria that we need, notably those in our digestive tracts.
To: anymouse
This could be really good news. If they could do the same for viruses, we'd be in great shape! R&D bump!
To: anymouse
I hope these people have a security team consisting of 20-30 heavily armed men. Way to many biologists have ended up committing suicide lately.
To: anymouse
No, these are bacteriophages--known as phages for short. And each phage is a little virus that ONLY kills ONE bacteria. Some ancient bacteria have remnants of phages incorporated into them so that is evidence of a long ago struggle which the bacteria won.
So human cells would be okay.
This is a brilliant idea. BRILLIANT.
11
posted on
08/21/2002 2:31:57 PM PDT
by
equus
To: aristeides
Interesting idea. But I wonder what these viruses will do to the bacteria that we need, notably those in our digestive tracts Same thing antibiotics do - decimate them, resulting in the runs and other GI problems. But easy enough to repopulate: Just eat some yogurt and McDonald's burgers.
12
posted on
08/21/2002 2:35:55 PM PDT
by
BearCub
To: anymouse
HMMMMM....thought provoking to say the least....but still in the early stages.
Still, I hope it's not just research funding hype.
BUMP
To: anymouse
"But if this lysin virus destroys Anthrax cells so readily, one wonders what it does to human cells? Hopefully this bug only likes Anthrax and doesn't mutate itself into liking us instead." I think it's very unlikely that an anthrax-specific virus could ever become dangerous to a mammal.
However, I would worry about it "getting into the wild" and morphing into a bug that could attack the BT bacteria.
BT is essentially "anthrax for insects". It's nearly identical to its brother (Anthrax) that is deadly to mammals, but its effect is restricted to insects, which is why you can buy it in powder form and sprinkle it in your garden with impunity.
However, if the virus was able to become deadly to BT, and then get into the insect population, uh oh...
14
posted on
08/21/2002 3:15:49 PM PDT
by
Don Joe
To: techcor
I've always wondered why you never see a lawyer calling in sick. :)
15
posted on
08/21/2002 3:16:53 PM PDT
by
Don Joe
To: equus
Fascinating.
Do you work in this field, or did you just "stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night"? LOL
To: techcor
Hhhmmnn.....maybe that splains why some folks tend to bite the head off others for hardly any reason at all.
To: andy_card
Although with interest rates so low, with many first time homebuyers and all the refi's coming in, it shouldn't really hurt the market that bad.
18
posted on
08/21/2002 4:08:35 PM PDT
by
steveo
To: steveo
Although with interest rates so low, with many first time homebuyers and all the refi's coming in, it shouldn't really hurt the market that bad. Don't be so sure. The market's already beginning to soften up in my area (suburban D.C.), due largely to the effects of the falling stock market. A 30% drop in the number of potential buyers, due to a major bioterrorism attack, could aggravate the problem somewhat. And this is all the while I'm preparing to put my house on the market, starting Labor Day. Naturally, I'm a little jumpy.
To: anymouse
I have also heard of an anti-toxin that has been developed. Does anyone have any info on this anti-toxin? I believe that this anti-toxin can be used in the event that Pulmonary Anthrax has already been contracted. As I understand, this anti-toxin fights off the toxic effects of the toxin that the Anthrax bacteria releases into someone's system. It has been shown to be effective in mice, I believe who were given many times a lethal dose of Anthrax spores. This anti-toxin is a measure that can be taken on a dying person until anti-biotics start working. Does anyone have any info on this?
20
posted on
08/21/2002 7:51:56 PM PDT
by
lmr
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