Bioterrorism: a new frontier for drug discovery and development

Only a few years ago bioterrorism was considered a remote concern but today it has reached the forefront of the public imagination following recent terrorist attacks around the world. The disaster of September 11 2001, followed by anthrax letters sent via the US postal system, and now the renewed tension in the Middle East, have all brought the possibility of bioterrorism a little closer to reality. A number of biological agents could be used in a terrorist attack, including anthrax, botulinum, plague, smallpox, staphylococcal and streptococcal toxins, and the list of emerging pathogens is evolving rapidly. The serious diseases that these agents produce could cause considerable morbidity and mortality if used in a terrorist attack. This evolving threat presents the medical, public health and scientific communities with pressing challenges. The present research efforts in academia are primarily focused on the basic research on the pathogens that are considered to be bioweapons for terrorist attack. Thus, collaborative efforts between academic institutes, pharmaceutical industries and governmental agencies are warranted to translate basic research into drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tests. This review provides a brief overview of the threat from biological weapons and the current biodefense strategy to prevent and control outbreaks of diseases caused by intentional release of these bioweapons of mass destruction.