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Genetics
Anthrax Immunity Gene Found in Mice
Discovery Could Help Pinpoint Human Resistance, Improve Patient Treatment
Researchers at HMS have identified a gene that in certain forms renders mice resistant to anthrax, an often fatal disease caused by a bacterium that is thought to be a prime biological weapon in the terrorist arsenal. The genetic variants appear to work by enhancing immune cells' response to the toxin released by the anthrax-causing germ.
William Dietrich (left) and James Watters believe that variants of a gene they discovered may protect mouse immune cells from the effects of the anthrax bug's deadly toxin. Photo by Steve Gilbert
Intense efforts are being made to find ways to defend humans against a possible anthrax attack in the wake of the World Trade Center and Pentagon assaults and the recent outbreak of anthrax in Florida. The new findings, which appear in the October
Current Biology, could aid that effort in two ways. They could shed light on what happens during the early stages of anthrax infection and, in particular, how the bug's deadly toxin, lethal factor, affects immune cells. This knowledge could be used to devise therapies for human anthrax, which is virtually untreatable once symptoms develop.
"This is one of very few times we have a concrete molecular handle on what is happening during lethal factor intoxication in anthrax," said William Dietrich, HMS assistant professor of genetics and senior author of the study. "We can begin to think, what if I manipulate this process--how might that help resist the disease?"
The findings could help counter the threat of biological terrorism in another way. "The gene, Kif1C, exists and is known to vary in humans," Dietrich said. If these human variants are found to confer immunity, they could provide a basis for screening people who have been exposed to the anthrax bacterium.
"If it can be established that there are susceptible and resistant humans whose response is caused by differences in Kif1C, then one could identify these individuals," he said. "If you knew someone was resistant to anthrax, you might not worry so much about him if he had been exposed. Or you might want to know who among the soldiers in your army might be able to tolerate anthrax better."
—Misia Landau
Copyright 2001 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
