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September 25, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"To Fight Bioterror, Doctors Seek Ways to Spur Immunity"

Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) (09/24/02) P. A1; Chase, Marilyn

Biologists are intrigued by the new concept that one injection or inhalant could protect against a range of diseases that could be deployed in a bioterror attack, thanks to a new development in immunology.  Some scientists do not think it is possible to harness innate immunity, or the early-stage immune reaction, but the National Institutes of Health's Anthony Fauci, and other experts, believe the idea has merit, and ex-Soviet bioweapons expert Ken Alibek has established a company to work on the idea--with some federal funding.  Alibek and his Advanced Biosystems Inc. are trying to develop an immune booster cocktail that could be delivered by inhaler, and he says that such cocktails have protected mice against diseases similar to anthrax and smallpox.  During the last year, regulatory barriers have gone down and funding for such research has gone up. Overstimulating the immune system can cause health problems, but innate immunity can hasten the response to infection.

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