News From The American Chemical Society March 19, 2008

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Tropical Diseases;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 25 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Toward a new generation of vaccines for malaria and other diseases

Researchers in Colombia, South America, describe a new strategy for designing the next generation of synthetic vaccines that could lead to more effective treatments for fighting malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS and other infectious diseases. These conditions kill more than 17 million people around the world each year. Their study appears in the current issue of ACS' Accounts of Chemical Research, a monthly journal.

Traditional vaccine development involves the use of microorganisms to trigger an immune response by the body. However, this approach can produce unwanted side effects and may be ineffective against microbes with extremely complex infection cycles. Therefore, researchers agree on the need for better vaccine.

In the study, Manuel E. Patarroyo and his son Manuel A. Patarroyo describe a completely new strategy for designing more effective vaccines, which are chemically synthesized in the laboratory without the use of microorganisms. They identified dozens of key protein fragments involved in the complex infection process of the malaria parasite, from which they designed, specifically modified and synthesized chemically some of the most promising malaria vaccine candidates that have been tested to date.

Likewise, identifying the disease-related protein fragments involved in the complex infection process of other transmittable diseases could result in new, more effective vaccines to help fight these diseases, the scientists say. They also note that this innovative approach establishes for the first time the emerging rules for the development of vaccines against diseases scourging humankind. - MTS

ARTICLE: "Emerging Rules for Subunit-Based Multiantigenic, Multistage Chemically Synthesized Vaccines"

CONTACT:
Manuel E. Patarroyo, M.D.
Fundacion Instituto de Immunologia de Columbia
Bogota, Colombia

New triple-threat weapon needed in war between man and microbe

Mankind's age-old battle against infectious diseases stands to rage on and on, unless scientists develop a new generation of triple-action antibiotics, according to an article scheduled for the March 28 issue of ACS' monthly Journal of Natural Products.

In the article, Lester A. Mitscher presents a "rather personalized" account of the turbulent tug-of-war between microbes and mankind, describing past tactics, lessons learned, and a cautious prediction about the road ahead.

Mitscher notes, for instance, that "miracle drugs" in the 1940s and '50s failed to live up to expectations. Though penicillin promised an end to infections worldwide in 1941, reports of resistant bacteria appeared only a year later. "Significant clinical resistance is now known for virtually all antibiotics in medical use," the article states. "Unfortunately, the problem is getting worse since big pharma has largely withdrawn from research directed toward new antibiotic discovery."

The review concludes that microbial resistance is inevitable pending unforeseen breakthroughs. One involves development of new antibiotics that go beyond killing or slowing the growth of disease-causing microbes. Those new medications would contain antimutagenic ingredients that discourage bacteria from mutating into resistant forms. In addition, they would pack immunostimulants that enlist the body's own immune defense system to fight off an infection. "Continued close observation and exploitation of natural phenomena appear at present to be the wisest course for scientists to follow in trying to deal with this problem," says Mitscher. - AD

ARTICLE: "Coevolution: Mankind and Microbes"

CONTACT:
Lester A. Mitscher, Ph.D.
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kan. 66045

Source: Michael Woods
American Chemical Society