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Anthrax Cellular Entry Point Uncovered

ScienceDaily reports that scientists have identified the cellular point of entry for anthrax spores. This discovery could go a long way towards providing treatment or preventing infection.

5 of 39 comments (clear)

  1. Medical Science is getting really interesting... by Nemilar · · Score: 1, Interesting

    We have drugs that prevent people from getting high on opiates, then we have cocaine vaccines, and now we are going to have a drug for anthrax immunity.

    Medical science (and all science) is really taking off, now that we are beginning to understand the minute details of how our bodies work. Of course, there is still loads that we don't know - and there will always be things that we won't know - but I think the advances we're going to see in the next 10-20 years are going to amaze us all.

    But I bet anything, anything at all, that we will not, ever, cure the common cold.

    --
    Nemilar http://www.techthrob.com - Visit Me!
  2. Common cold by Enderandrew · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Forgive my ignorance, but I thought the common cold was anything but common. It is a virus with countless strains, each fairly different.

    --
    http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
  3. Did I miss something? by Sorthum · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The site is down, so forgive me if this is in TFA, but can't we treat anthrax with common anti-bacterials?

    In fact, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/anthrax_g.htm#What%20is%20the%20treatment%20for%20anthrax confirms this.

    So what's the huge deal about using Anthrax as a biological weapon? You'd be about as successful using the Black Plague...

  4. Tidbit by LilGuy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My brother-in-law's father is a professor at ISU and worked with a fellow that kept anthrax samples for over 50 years, running diagnostics on samples once a year until 2001. Then the government came in and made him destroy them all. It's pretty ridiculous considering anthrax isn't THAT big of a threat. It is indeed deadly in a sufficient quantity, but in order to ingest the amount needed for lethality you'd just about have to cut up a line and snort it.

    Well not quite to that extent but the media did a fine job of playing the other extreme.

    --

    You're nothing; like me.
  5. 9/11 Made America Stupid by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    professor at ISU and worked with a fellow that kept anthrax samples for over 50 years, running diagnostics on samples once a year until 2001. Then the government came in and made him destroy them all. It's pretty ridiculous considering anthrax isn't THAT big of a threat.

    Face it, 9/11 made America stupid for 3 years. Even Democrats signed off on torture, we got ourselves into a non-terror-related quagmire, gave up lots of civil rights, and went nuts over things like this. People wonder why Germany citizens let Hitler run amuck, but we had a bit of it ourselves.