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Abstract

I t is impossible to protect whole nations from the effects of bioterrorism by preventive vaccination. There are too many possible agents, the costs would be exorbitantly high, and the health risks associated with complex mass vaccination programs would be unacceptable for the public health authorities. Adequate protection, however, could be provided via a combination of rapid detection and diagnosis with proper treatment for those exposed to biological weapon agents. Preferably this should be done with therapeutics, which would be beneficial in all stages of infection to disease. Monoclonal antibodies, preferably from human origin, can be used to prevent severe complications by neutralizing or blocking the pathological elements of biological agents and these are the optimal candidates to be deployed in case of biological warfare or a bioterrorist event. Recent research in aerosol challenged rabbits has shown that the application of a combination of a human monoclonal antibody against the protective antigen (PA) and one against the lethal factor (LF) of the anthrax toxin is highly efficacious even when given 48 hours after the exposure. In this models, all animals are symptomatic around 30 hrs after exposure and all exposed but untreated rabbits have died around 90 hrs after exposure. This new development offers a safe and effective therapy, which could save lives even days after the bioterror victims have been infected with anthrax spores. The human body is one of the better, and most suitably equipped places for the generation of monoclonal antibodies, intended for effective treatment of humans. Such antibodies will be optimal in specificity, affinity, in functional and pharmacological properties. In addition, the chances on adverse effects and cross-reactivity with human tissues will be minimal. For these reasons, the human immune response is used as a basis for the selection and generation of antibodies by the Dutch company IQ Therapeutics in Groningen, in close cooperation with the US Naval Medical Research Center and financially supported by the Dutch Armed Forces and the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency,. Persons, immunised against or infected with an agent of interest, donate blood cells in this research program voluntarily. This blood is used to select the white blood cells producing the antibodies of interest. Those cells are the basis of the fully human monoclonal antibodies generated with IQ?s Cloning the Human Response? technology.

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