http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/stories/person/1562 Stories and external links referencing a person (RSS) en http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/medicine-health/articles/sublethal-force-new-antibiotic-aims-tame-bacterial-toxins <!--paging_filter--><p>Using an innovative screening approach, researchers in the lab of John Mekalanos have identified an entirely new class of antibiotics active against the cholera bacterium. While traditional antibiotics kill bacteria outright by interfering with processes essential for their survival, the new agents block production of bacterial proteins that promote infection and cause cholera symptoms. Tests in animals proved that the new compounds could prevent bacterial colonization. <p>The work opens up a new world of potential for antibacterial drugs that aim to block the unique disease-causing talents of cholera bacteria, which include the production of cholera toxin. "What we've done is made a custom, organism-specific antibiotic against Vibrio cholerae," said Mekalanos, the Adele Lehman professor of microbiology and molecular genetics and head of that department. Since most bacteria that cause human disease elaborate virulence factors such as toxins, Mekalanos said, "There is no reason our approach can't be replicated for a number of other important pathogens." The research appeared Oct. 13, 2005 in the online edition of Science.</p> Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:41:29 -0400 70652986 3561 at http://harvardscience.harvard.edu http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/medicine-health/articles/dual-action-anthrax-vaccine-more-effective-current-vaccine-early-tests <!--paging_filter--><p>A new vaccine prods the immune system to attack both the anthrax bacterium ( Bacillus anthracis ) and the toxins it makes. This dual action represents an improvement over the currently available vaccine, which targets only the toxins. In a test of the vaccine using mice, animals were injected first with the vaccine, then 10 days later with anthrax toxin. All the vaccinated mice survived the toxic challenge, while unvaccinated mice exposed to the toxin died within 24 hours. "It worked like a charm," said Julia Wang, Harvard Medical School assistant professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who led the study. "Clearly, there is a need for a better anthrax vaccine," she added. The researchers suggest that the new vaccine will also be an important tool for treating those already infected with anthrax as a so-called therapeutic vaccine.</p> Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:31:35 -0400 70652986 3408 at http://harvardscience.harvard.edu