( xt they exposed the mice to ordinarily...)Cancer drug slows poxvirus in mice

This finding, if confirmed in additional animal model studies, suggests that Gleevec might play a role in addressing a public health emergency in the event of a smallpox outbreak, Dr. Kalman says. Specifically, Gleevec might be useful as a preventative against adverse effects of smallpox vaccine, enabling clinicians to use the vaccine even in people who otherwise could not take it. Given for a short period, Gleevec theoretically could hamper the cell-to-cell spread of virus and allow the body's immune system to mount a successful defense, he explains. Experiments to test whether Gleevec might work against smallpox virus as well as against vaccinia virus are now being planned, Dr. Kalman says. "The approach of fighting disease by targeting drugs to cellular molecules rather than to disease agents themselves may be applicable to a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms," he says.

Routine vaccinations for smallpox ended in this country in the early 1970s, and the World Health Organization declared smallpox eradicated in 1980. Nevertheless, concern remains that smallpox virus could be unleashed through an act of bioterror. For this reason, scientists are working to better understand the mechanisms of smallpox disease and to develop new and improved smallpox treatments and vaccines.

NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on transplantation and immune-related illnesses, including autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies.

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Source:NIH