<p>WASHINGTON - Anthrax, the bioterrorism agent that killed five people in 2001 and has frightened millions more, may be an effective cancer killer, according to new research from the National Institutes of Health.</p>
<p>Genetically engineered anthrax protein -- designed to activate only on contact with a chemical on the surface of malignant tumors -- dramatically reduced and even eradicated cancers in tests on hundreds of mice, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. Thanks to the genetic engineering, the anthrax did not poison the mice.</p>