Date:08/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/08/stories/2008100857870300.htm

New Delhi

JNU to work on therapeutic antibodies against anthrax

Parul Sharma

The University has taken up the project for three years

NEW DELHI: Hoping to develop stronger and more effective antibodies against anthrax, the Jawaharlal Nehru University is going to embark on a project that seeks to curb the harmful effects of the two toxins generated by the microbe.

Anthrax is a disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a microbe. An acute disease of cattle, sheep and goat, it affects humans too when there is exposure to spores from the infected animal. The microbe releases two types of toxins in the body — lethal toxin and oedema toxin.

Professor Rakesh Bhatnagar of the School of Biotechnology at JNU has signed an agreement with the Union government’s Science and Technology Department to create therapeutic antibodies against anthrax.

“The project proposes to make a genetically engineered single-chain antibody that will neutralise both the toxins in the body. Both lethal toxin and oedema toxin have some similarity. The concept of single chain antibody is not new. What will be unique to this project is that we will be developing a bi-specific antibody,” explained Professor Bhatnagar, who has been working on anthrax for over 20 years now.

“We will be targeting the common region of the two toxins so that only one antibody is required to remove them. We will be the first in the world to develop this bi-specific recombinant single chain antibody for neutralising oedema toxin and lethal toxin of anthrax,” he claimed.

The project is for a period of three years. At present, a vaccine to prevent anthrax is available.

According to the Professor, human beings are accidental hosts of the bacteria causing anthrax. They acquire inhalational anthrax which is more severe than the other type called intestinal anthrax.

“Doctors generally give antibiotics to kill the bacteria if a patient goes to them complaining of anthrax. However, the antibiotics only eliminate the bacteria but the toxins remain in the body. If the patient comes at an early stage, there are not enough toxins in the body and so chances of recovery are very strong.”

“However, the problem is that the symptoms of anthrax begin showing only when there is enough toxin in the body. So many people don’t know they have anthrax until it is too late to treat. And if the patients come at a later stage, it could be dangerous.”

The DST will give a grant of Rs.1.03 crore for the project, while about 30 per cent of the recurring expenditure will be handled by the industry.