New Delhi: Prof. Rakesh Bhatnagar from the School of Biotechnology at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has signed an agreement with the Department of Science & Technology (Government of India) for creating therapeutic antibodies to stop anthrax.

The project will be for three years. A grant of Rs.1.03 crores will be provided by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) for the project.

Anthrax is an acute disease in cattle and human beings caused by the bacterium "Bacillus anthracis" which is highly lethal in some forms. It is the production of two powerful exo-toxins (edema toxin and lethal toxin) by the bacteria that causes death.

Prof. Bhatnagar, who has been working on Anthrax for over 20 years now, said, "Under the project, we will try and develop a genetically engineered single-chain antibody that will neutralize both the toxins. Both the edema toxin and lethal toxin have some similarity. The concept of a single chain antibody is not new. What will be unique is that we will develop a bi-specific antibody".

"We will target the common region of the two toxins so that only one antibody is required to remove them. We will be the first in the world to develop this bi-specific recombinant single chain antibody for neutralizing edema toxin and lethal toxin of anthrax", Prof. Bhatnagar added.

Occupational exposure to infected animals or their products (such as skin wool and meat) is the usual pathway of exposure for humans.

Anthrax can enter the human body through the intestines (ingestion), lungs (inhalation), or skin (cutaneous) and causes distinct clinical symptoms based on its site of entry.

An infected human will generally be quarantined. However, anthrax does not usually spread from an infected human to a non-infected human.

But if the disease is fatal the person"s body and its mass of anthrax bacilli becomes a potential source of infection to others and special precautions should be used to prevent further contamination.