Anthrax spores use RNA coat to mislead immune system

Researchers from Harvard Medical University had initially discovered that the human body can detect anthrax spores by recognizing a specific RNA molecule found on the surface of the spore. In doing this, it hinders the bodies immune response to fight off the infection once anthrax has colonized into live bacteria. In a new study, researchers have found that anthrax stimulates it's host immune system by activating a certain set of immune sensors called macrophages, that are not able to detect its activity within the body.  In the article, the researchers also found that the spores are able to go undetected because it stimulates the immune signaling molecules and disrupts them by using Type 1 interferons, which impairs the bodies immune system to fight against it. The researchers hypothesized that this disease has evolved to use the RNA found on the spores to activate type 1 interferons and take over the bodies immune system. 

This article was an interesting read because it discusses how anthrax is evolving. It is also interesting because scientist are also beginning to look at the way how other bacterial spores are able to mislead the human immune system. By looking at the evolution of other bacteria, it can help researchers to follow its patterns of evolvement and eventually help save the lives of patients who contract these diseases. 

Article  

About Anthrax

Anthrax RNA coat is Key to Disease's Succsess

Anthrax is a very dangerous disease, mostly because of the way it interacts with its host body.  It was long hypothesized that the anthrax could trigger an unfavorable immune response in its host, but it wasn’t known how or exactly what.  This response is what Harvard Medical School researchers sought to discover.  Anthrax itself is caused by a bacteria called Bacillus Anthracis. This bacteria itself can exist in both a spore state and a vegetative state, both of which are precursors to full blown anthrax.  The spore state isn’t recognized by the body’s immune system, but the afterward vegetative state should be, however the team of researchers discovered a mechanism that was used by the anthrax spores that diffused the bodies’ way of recognizing the vegetative state of the anthrax.  It does this using an RNA based type 1 interferon, though testing it was even discovered that anthrax that grew from spores which lacked these RNA coats were far less dangerous than traditional anthrax.

Anthrax

For the original article here

For FDA's information on the Anthrax vaccine here 

Weaponized anthrax is a bio-weapon that can be mailed to you 

Anthrax as a Potential Mechanism for Delivering Cancer Drugs to Cells

Scientists have been able to synthesize antibodies with the capability of disrupting proteins, like the HER-2 receptor, which are found on the surfaces of some cancer cells. For example, the drug Herceptin has been successful in treating breast tumors which "over express the HER-2 receptor" by targeting cancer cells for destruction. Designing antibody drugs to target other receptors on cancer-cell surfaces could potentially be successful in treating cancer; however, it is extremely difficult to get proteins inside the cells, making many cancer cells unreachable.

A team of MIT researchers has been evaluating Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria which causes anthrax, as a potential "deliverer" of antibodies to cancer cells. Bacillus anthracis is of interest to the medical community as it is able to deliver large enzymes through the cell membrane, a feat rendered difficult to impossible in the administration of cancer drugs to specific cells.

The anthrax toxin kills cells through three mechanisms. The first is the protective antigen (PA), a protein which binds to the TEM-8 and CMG-2 receptors found on most cells. Once PA binds to a cell, it creates a "docking site" for the two anthrax proteins called lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). These proteins are sent into the cell and disrupt cellular processes, often causing cell death. However, if the sections responsible for the LF and EF proteins in anthrax are removed, the PA will leave channels that allow proteins to enter cells. This system can be used to deliver synthesized antibodies, referred to as antibody mimics, to cancer cells through the channels left by the PA to target specific proteins in cancer cells. The antibody mimics are smaller than antibodies and function to disrupt specific proteins within a cancer cell.

 This article immediately caught my eye as I never would have expected the words "anthrax to deliver cancer drugs" to be put together. This article shows the importance of the combination of innovative and logical thinkers in medicine. If the MIT team is able to effectively replicate this method of administering antibodies to cancer cells in specific types of cells, this method may change oncology forever.

Article: https://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/cancer-drug-delivery-by-anthrax-0925
Related article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3066103/