The preparation works against both the bacteria and the toxin secreted by it; The Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry: This is a revolutionary development of far-reaching importance in the field of combating biological terrorism
The Technion researchers succeeded in developing an innovative antibiotic substance that simultaneously attacks the anthrax bacterium (in its Hebrew name the ember bacterium) and the toxin it managed to secrete into the bloodstream of the affected person. This is announced by the important journal "Angewandte Chemie" in its international edition. The article was chosen by the editors of the newspaper as the "hot article" of the edition.
Professor Timur Bazov from the Technion Faculty of Chemistry, together with Professor Chi Wei Wong from the Scripps Research Institute in California, developed an inhibitory substance that will form the basis of a future drug against the anthrax bacterium. The drug will attack not only the bacteria itself, but also the toxic protein that it releases into the victim's bloodstream. That's why the editor of the prestigious magazine defined the new development as a "double blow" or "punch blow" - the customer's term from the sport of boxing.
The anthrax bacterium usually attacks animals, not humans. The developers of biological weapons have turned it into a dangerous weapon of war. The Convention for the Prohibition of the Proliferation of Biological Weapons from 1972 prohibits the use of this bacterium, because its spread in the population could cause mass death. This is why the terrorist organizations aim to use it. As you remember, after the September 11th attack, the USA also suffered from an anthrax attack that arrived through the mail.
The anthrax bacterium is known to be very resistant to dry conditions and high temperatures. It attacks through penetration through open wounds, the digestive system and the respiratory system. After it enters the body, it begins to release a highly toxic protein into the bloodstream, which paralyzes the human immune system and causes death. As mentioned, the new antibiotic substance developed by Professor Bazov and his team also neutralizes the toxic protein, if and when the bacterium has already had time to release it into the bloodstream, before being neutralized.
The Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry at the Technion, Professor Ehud Kinan, said that this is a revolutionary development with far-reaching consequences in the field of combating terrorism. The researchers are now going to continue their research in animals to develop their invention towards its application in humans.
