Protection against Anthrax with Recombinant Virus-Expressed Protective Antigen inExperimental Animals

摘要

A primary goal of recent research on anthrax has been the development ofprototype anthrax vaccine candidate. Currently, livestock are vaccinated with spores of the live toxigenic, nonencapsulated Sterne strain of Bacillus anthracis, which occasionally causes necrosis at the injection site but seldom causes death. The primary immunogenic component of the human vaccine is anthrax protective antigen (PA), prepared by the Michigan Department of Public Health (MDPH-PA). This vaccine consists of aluminum hydroxide-adsorbed supernatants from fermenter cultures of a toxigenic, nonencapsulated strain of B. anthracis. Immunization with MDPH-PA can induce local pain, edema, and erythema (1), and frequent boosters are required. There is evidence that in guinea pigs some virulent strains of B. anthracis are partially refractive to immunization with MDPH-PA (11,27). Reprints