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Trojan Horse
16 November 2014

Trojan Horse

Human immune cells (coloured in blue) are swallowing up a sausage chain of anthrax-causing bacteria (green), Bacillus anthracis. This deadly germ takes its name from the Greek word for coal, anthracis, because it can cause skin to form boils that blacken when untreated. Although infections have been all but wiped out with vaccines in the twentieth century, deadly spores continue to survive inside the fabric of old buildings (where horse hair was used to bind plaster) such as in London's King's Cross train station, and as part of military arsenals for germ warfare. The unrivalled ability of anthrax to inject toxins into cells has killed thousands of people and livestock in past centuries, but could now be used to save as many. Having successfully replaced the toxic content of the bacterium with anti-cancer agents, biologists are now trialling it on mice as a potent drug delivery system targeting tumour cells.

Written by Tristan Farrow

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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