American Chemical Society's Weekly PressPac -- Jan. 30, 2008

Researchers in Washington and Oregon report an advance toward developing much-needed new drugs and vaccines for monkeypox. The disease occurs mainly among rodents, monkeys, and other animals in Africa, but has been transmitted to humans resulting in high mortality rates. Although this deadly viral disease rarely occurs naturally in the United States, it is a potential bioterrorism agent.

In an article scheduled for the March issue of the ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, Richard D. Smith and colleagues note that monkeypox is caused by a virus closely-related to smallpox. Naturally occurring smallpox has been eradicated worldwide thanks to a vaccine that has occasional serious side-effects. However, no safe and proven vaccine or effective medication currently exists for monkeypox.

In their study, mass spectrometry and other sensitive lab techniques were used to compare proteins produced by both monkeypox virus (MPV) and by the vaccinia virus (VV), which is the basis for current smallpox vaccines. The researchers identified nine proteins that were specific to MPV and eight that were specific to VV. Importantly, proteins present in MPV, but absent in VV seem to be critical for the high virulence of MPV, they point out. This knowledge may be the key to the development of new medications and vaccines for preventing and treating monkeypox, as well as to the production of safer versions of more general pox-related vaccines, the researchers say.

ARTICLE #3 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“Comparative Proteomics of human Monkeypox and Vaccinia Intracellular Mature and Extracellular Enveloped Virions”

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/pr070432+

CONTACT:
Richard D. Smith, Ph.D.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Richland, Washington 99352
Phone: 509-376-0723
Fax: 509-376-0722
Email:

ARTICLE #4 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fungus among us: Invisible “micropollutants” invade crops, water supply
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

They’re here, there, and everywhere: Toxins produced by a common fungus are spreading beyond food crops and invading the environment, including water supplies, with unknown consequences, researchers in Switzerland report. Their study, which reveals a need for stronger monitoring and control of these overlooked “micropollutants,” is scheduled for the Feb. 13 issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.

The contaminants are members of a larger family fungal-produced toxins called mycotoxins. In the report, Thomas Bucheli and colleagues note that scientists have studied two of the most common mycotoxins — deoxynivalenol and zearalenone — in food and animal feed products for decades. However, scientists know very little about the distribution of these toxins elsewhere in the environment.