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Tuesday October 16 6:33 PM ET

Research Finds Possible New Anthrax Vaccine Route

Slideshows AP Photo Tracking Anthrax

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers said on Tuesday they may have found a new way to make a vaccine against anthrax -- an usually rare disease that has the world on alert after a series of infections and exposures in the United States.

The vaccine uses bits of DNA from the bacteria and could be combined with DNA from other microbes to make a type of general vaccine against bioterror attacks, the researchers said.

Americans have been on edge since the first reported case in which a 63-year-old photo editor in Florida died of the inhaled version of anthrax.

At least two more people have since been infected through anthrax-contaminated mail, including the 7-month-old son of an ABC News producer in New York.

The military has been vaccinating all soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, and health officials have urged the stockpiling of antibiotics to fight anthrax and other bacteria that have the potential to be used in biological warfare.

But several boosters of the current anthrax vaccine must be given before patients are completely immune. It is also not clear how effective it might be against inhaled anthrax, which causes a highly deadly infection.

The current vaccine uses a non-dangerous form of the Bacillus anthracis bacteria, which causes anthrax.

BODY RECOGNIZES DNA FROM GERMS

At Ohio State University, Darrell Galloway and colleagues have looked for better approaches to a vaccine. One new tack vaccine researchers are taking is to use pieces of DNA from the germ they are vaccinating against.

The body's immune system should be able to recognize these small pieces of DNA and then react quickly if a person comes into contact with anthrax.

Galloway's team used partial pieces of DNA, called plasmids, from three genes in the bacterium -- protective antigen, lethal factor and edema factor.

Writing in the journal Infection and Immunity, Galloway and his colleagues said they were able to completely protect mice from anthrax infection. They later exposed rabbits to inhaled anthrax -- the most dangerous form of human exposure -- and said the vaccine also protected all the rabbits.

``It is a pretty significant result,'' Galloway, a molecular biologist, said in a telephone interview.

But he said a new vaccine for people was a long way off.

``To be truthful, I think we are not ready to go on the street with this just yet,'' Galloway said.

``There are technical issues that need to be looked at and verified. One of the challenges that any vaccine faces is that there is an existing vaccine for anthrax. We must prove that our vaccine is at least as good if not better.''

Nonetheless, Galloway said his group was talking to a number of companies, as well as the U.S. military, about the potential for making the vaccine.

``I would ultimately like to be able, in a single immunization, immunize against three or four biothreat agents,'' Galloway added.

``We are looking to combine other biothreat genes -- suitable target antigens that we can combine. For example. we might immunize against anthrax, plague, tularemia.''

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.