Monkey Study Could Aid With Smallpox Cures

Results of a study documenting how the smallpox virus attacks an infected monkey on a molecular level could play a role in developing new diagnostics, vaccines and drugs that would be needed in case of a terrorist attack using the disease, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 7).

“In light of today’s concerns about bioterror attacks, we have an urgent need to know as much as possible about the workings of the smallpox virus and other bioterror agents,” said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci. “This new research fills in some of the gaps in our understanding of smallpox. Now we are better positioned to speed the development of protective measures.”

The study was funded by the institute and led by David Relman of Stanford University.

Experts said the findings of how smallpox acts on cells could hasten development of smallpox countermeasures, according to a National Institutes of Health press statement (National Institutes of Health release, Oct. 12).

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