With the full structure of the Anthrax toxin now known,
and the mechanism of infection being worked on, new ways to treat the
illness are being worked on both privately and publicly. At the forefront
of anthrax vaccination and treatment are the drug companies. Right now
there is a vaccination for anthrax that is fairly effective, but it
could be much better. Right now the vaccination against anthrax is based
around the production of antigens to the PA. This works fairly well
to block the ATR, but it has a rather short time in the body. It has
been found that the body produces a much more sustained resistance when
the LF antigens are produced. These antigens bind to the LF before it
is able to make its way to PA and be ingested by the cell (Price et
all, 2001). With further work the vaccination to Anthrax could become
much safer, much more effective, more available, and more understood.