Title:Recent Developments in Anti-dotes Against Anthrax
Volume: 9
Issue: 2
Author(s): Neha Dhasmana, Lalit K. Singh, Asani Bhaduri, Richa Misra and Yogendra Singh
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Anthrax toxin receptors, anthrolysin O, Bacillus anthracis, capsule, edema factor, furin endoproteases, immunoglobulin,
inhibitors, lethal factor, protective antigen, spore, vaccine.
Abstract: The etiologic agent of disease anthrax, Bacillus anthracis, causes recurrent
outbreaks among the livestock and intermittent infections in humans across the world.
Controlling animal infections by vaccination can minimize the incidence of disease in
humans. Prevention of anthrax in occupationally exposed personnel is achieved through vaccination with either live
spores or precipitates of culture supernatants from attenuated strains of B. anthracis. However, anthrax vaccination of the
large human population is impractical as well as inappropriate. Broad-range antibiotics like amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin,
clindamycin, streptomycin, and penicillin G are recommended for the treatment of human anthrax infections, but the
threat of antibiotic resistant strains always remains. Moreover, in the absence of any specific symptom (s) during early infection,
the diagnosis of anthrax is delayed causing elevated levels of anthrax toxin component which could be fatal. For
these reasons, there is a need to develop new antimicrobial agents against virulent B. anthracis to effectively combat this
fatal pathogen. Over the last two decades, extensive studies have been carried out to develop specific inhibitors against virulence
factors of B. anthracis such as capsule, protective antigen, lethal factor and edema factor. Research has also been
focused in developing inhibitors of anthrax toxin receptors (including the use of receptor decoys) and host furin endoproteases
which are required for activation of toxin. This review highlights the recent progress made in developing the diverse
countermeasures for anthrax infections targeting B. anthracis virulence factors and their counterparts in host.
