Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have tested a new anthrax treatment. The treatment uses growth factors to help repair damaged lung tissue. It reversed advanced damage in mice with late-stage anthrax infections. This discovery could help patients who miss the usual treatment window.
Anthrax is caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. It can enter the body through the lungs, skin, or digestion. Early symptoms often look like the flu, making diagnosis difficult. Without fast treatment, anthrax becomes deadly within just a few days.
The new study offers hope for treating advanced or missed infections. Researchers believe this method could save lives in real-world outbreaks.
What Makes Anthrax So Dangerous?
In early stages, antibiotics or antibodies can help treat anthrax infection. But once the toxin enters cells, it causes severe, irreversible damage. The toxin breaks down MEK proteins that protect cells under stress. This blocks survival pathways in cells, called ERK and P38.
As a result, tissues and organs begin to break down quickly. Within days, the body suffers damage that becomes impossible to stop. Early anthrax cases are treatable, but late cases are usually fatal.
Anthrax releases three proteins: Protective Antigen (PA), Lethal Factor (LF), and Edema Factor (EF). These combine to form two toxins—lethal toxin and edema toxin. Lethal toxin is the most dangerous and causes the most harm. It drives the severe effects seen in deadly anthrax infections. Once anthrax enters cells, researchers call it “the point of no return.”
What New Treatment Did Researchers Test for Anthrax?
Researchers modified MEK proteins in mice to resist anthrax toxin. They changed MEK1-2 and MEK3-6 to make them more durable. MEK1-2 controls the ERK pathway that helps cells survive stress. MEK3-6 controls the P38 pathway, which also protects damaged cells.
After exposure to lethal toxin or anthrax bacteria, altered mice lived longer. The study showed both ERK and P38 must be shut down. Shutting down only one survival pathway was not enough to kill.
Scientists then tested a cocktail of growth factors on infected mice. They used EGF, GM-CSF, and FGF2. The mix reactivated ERK in both mouse and human cells. This reversed anthrax damage even after severe symptoms had already started.
About 60% of treated mice survived lethal anthrax exposure. None of the untreated mice survived the same deadly dose. In another test, 70% of treated mice survived anthrax infection. Only 10% of untreated mice lived through the same exposure.
Lead researcher Dr. Liu explained how the toxin breaks MEKs down. It clips off the protein ends, disabling their ability to function. Before this study, experts believed this damage could not be reversed.
What Implications Do These Findings Have for Anthrax Research?
The research team was surprised by the trial’s strong results. They believed anthrax toxin damage was permanent and beyond repair. But the growth factor cocktail brought cells back from near death. Different cells need different growth factors to reactivate the ERK pathway. Researchers are now testing more combinations for possible human treatment.
This method could be critical if anthrax is used in war. The treatment may help patients with late-stage anthrax infections survive. After the 2001 attacks, concerns about anthrax weapons remain high.
The new treatment approach offers hope for patients in medical crisis. If perfected for humans, this treatment could save many lives. It may also reduce the threat of anthrax as a weapon.
Conclusion
A new treatment shows promise for patients with late-stage anthrax infections. It may help reduce deaths and limit anthrax’s use as a weapon. Further research could turn this discovery into a life-saving breakthrough.
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Logan Hamilton is a health and wellness freelance writer for hire. He’s passionate about crafting crystal-clear, captivating, and credible content that elevates brands and establishes trust. When not writing, Logan can be found hiking, sticking his nose in bizarre books, or playing drums in a local rock band. Find him at loganjameshamilton.com.
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