title: Quickening the pace of anthrax research: three advances point towards possible therapies.
abstract: Anthrax toxin is the dominant virulence factor of Bacillus anthracis and drugs blocking its action could therefore have therapeutic benefit. Three recent papers suggest new ways to inhibit the toxin. Identification of the cell surface toxin receptor could lead to the design of binding competitors and receptor decoys. Determination of the crystal structure of the lethal factor protease will facilitate ongoing efforts to develop protease inhibitors as therapies. Finally, the susceptibility of certain inbred mice to anthrax lethal toxin was associated with mutations in the kinesin-like protein Kif1C, a discovery that could help to explain how anthrax toxin kills animals.
authors.forename: G Jilani
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Chaudry
authors.forename: Mahtab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moayeri
authors.forename: Shihui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Leppla
mesh_terms: D000067956:Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D016547:Kinesins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009154:Mutation; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry; D018000:Receptors, Peptide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000067956:Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C114063:KIF1C protein, human; C485246:Kif1c protein, mouse; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D018000:Receptors, Peptide; C030325:anthrax toxin; C070309:anthrax toxin receptors; D016547:Kinesins; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases