Statement on Biodefense
By Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., NIAID Director
Homeland security is a multifaceted endeavor, of which biodefense is a critical component. The ability of our nation to detect and counter bioterrorism depends to a large degree on the information generated by biomedical research on disease-causing microorganisms and the immune system’s response to them.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports much of this research, pursuing development of new and improved products designed to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases caused by emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including potential agents of bioterrorism.
Progress in Biodefense Research
In the years since the 2001 terrorist attacks, NIAID has made great strides in its biodefense research program. We are improving our physical infrastructure by the construction of 2 National Biocontainment Laboratories and 13 Regional Biocontainment Laboratories across the country. These high-level research laboratories will provide the secure facilities needed to carry out the nation's expanded biodefense and emerging infectious diseases research program in a setting that is safe for workers and surrounding communities.
NIAID is also supporting ten Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research. This nationwide network of multidisciplinary academic centers is conducting wide-ranging research on infectious diseases, and will develop diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines needed for biodefense. The Centers are developing needed human infrastructure for biodefense and emerging infectious diseases research by conducting training for scientists, and partnering with state and local public health agencies to ensure a strong, coordinated response in a crisis.
With respect to medical countermeasures against attack with biological agents, we are already in a far stronger position today than we were only a few years ago. For example, in September 2001 we had 15.4 million doses of smallpox vaccine available; today, we have more than 300 million doses.
We also have a next-generation, safer smallpox vaccine called modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) in clinical testing, and other vaccines under preclinical development. In addition, two new antiviral drugs, ST-246 and oral cidofovir, are in advanced product development. Both hold promise for use in the event of a smallpox attack, as well as to treat the rare but serious complications of the classic smallpox vaccine.
For anthrax, NIAID has aggressively pursued a new vaccine called rPA. This vaccine is produced using modern vaccine manufacturing techniques and may require fewer doses than the currently licensed vaccine. NIAID is supporting manufacture of this vaccine on a limited scale, and testing for safety and efficacy in multiple clinical trials.
New anthrax therapies that can neutralize the anthrax toxin are being developed, such as monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Candidate antibody treatments for the toxin that causes botulism are in development, as is a new vaccine to prevent the disease. In addition, a promising Ebola vaccine is in human clinical trials at the NIAID Vaccine Research Center.
NIH also is responsible for the conduct and coordination of research to develop medical countermeasures against a range of radiological and chemical threats. To that end, we have established eight Centers for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation and four Centers for Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats. Basic and applied research conducted in these centers and elsewhere is moving forward rapidly. For example, through the NIH medical countermeasures program, more than 40,000 compounds have been screened for potential radioprotective benefits and animal model screens have been developed to test the most promising of these candidates.
Conclusion
NIAID has made substantial progress in the biodefense and emerging infectious diseases research effort; however, much remains to be accomplished. Our experience with HIV/AIDS, and the many life-saving advances that have resulted from NIAID-sponsored HIV/AIDS research, provides a model of what can be accomplished with proper commitment to research. Building on these investments, we fully expect that our scientists will develop the tools of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention that allow us to respond to threats posed by emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, whether naturally occurring or deliberately introduced.
Furthermore, we anticipate that investments in biodefense research will have many positive spin-offs similar to the manner in which HIV/AIDS research has advanced the understanding and treatment of many other diseases. NIAID research on organisms with bioterror potential will almost certainly lead to an enhanced knowledge of other more common and naturally occurring infectious diseases that afflict people around the world. In particular, the advancement of knowledge should have enormous positive effects on our ability to diagnose, treat, and prevent major diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and a spectrum of emerging and re-emerging diseases, such as West Nile virus, SARS, dengue, and influenza.
—Anthony S. Fauci
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