Your Faculty / Fall 2005 - Faculty of Medicine - University of Calgary

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4 Research Your Faculty / Fall 2005 Dr. Donald E. Woods Fighting bioterrorism with vaccines By Doug McLaughlin B ioterrorism. Biological warfare. If the average Canadian thinks of these terms at all, it is probably with disquiet, even dismay. The notion itself is repellent: killing people with disease – intentionally, at random – with planning and science, forethought and subterfuge. In exploring this topic, one finds that using deadly sickness as a weapon is neither a modern aberration nor one confined to desperate foreign sects from some distant, dusty land. And, while most of us feel a large measure of helplessness in the face of such an invisible and deadly threat, science is examining both the problem and the solution with great concentration. A significant element of that science is taking shape right here in Alberta, at the University of Calgary. Dr. Donald E. Woods, professor of microbiology and infectious diseases, Canada Research Chair in Microbiology, is heading up this research. From his laboratory in the Health Sciences Centre in Calgary, he links with other facilities across North America and the world, sharing results, ideas, data and inspiration, battling potential disease outbreaks. “We study the pathogens, try to figure out how they might be ‘weaponized’, devise an effective vaccine – which is then put on a shelf, in the hope that it is never needed,” says Woods. Woods joined the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at U of C’s Faculty of Medicine in 1982. In 1988, he began unraveling the biological components of a disease that affects the Dr. Woods earned his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Texas Health Sciences Centre, completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in Oregon, and joined the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at U of C’s Faculty of Medicine in 1982. He became chair of the department and full professor in 1991; in 1996 he became the scientific director of the Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network, an organization associated with the Network
Your Faculty / Fall 2005 Research 5 people of Southeast Asia. The disease, known as melioidosis, is caused by a bacterial organism closely related to one that Woods has worked with for many years. “As very little was known about the organism and the disease melioidosis, I felt challenged to pursue these basic studies to define how the organism causes disease and then develop new therapeutic approaches,” says Woods. Burkholderia pseudomallei, commonly known as melioidosis (or Whitmore’s disease), can result in pneumonia, many painful and debilitating symptoms, and become chronic if left untreated. The bacteria live in soil and water and can enter the body through cuts and abrasions, a common occurrence in agricultural workers, who spend a great deal of time wading in rice paddies. This disease also became known among helicopter aircrew during the Vietnam War, who contracted it through their pulmonary systems when the organisms were carried in dust stirred up by the downwash from their machines. Fortunately for those who have access to antibiotics, melioidosis can be cured, but the number of effective antibiotics is limited. Immunization with an effective vaccine would prevent a tremendous amount of suffering and early death and Woods believes he has the key to this immunization. “We have developed a multi-component vaccine; it contains three components from the bacterium that have been extracted, purified and detoxified. This vaccine has shown promise in preliminary studies as an effective preventative against melioidosis,” explains Woods. When he speaks of the science of assembling this vaccine, his enthusiasm over the technical achievement of his team is tempered by the reality of the years of testing and verification ahead, the process to which all new medicines are subjected. However, the formulation of this vaccine itself could be a significant step towards the solution to at least one other virulent infection, glanders. Closely related to melioidosis, glanders is a more widespread disease with a history of use in biological warfare going back to the 19th century. Primarily affecting livestock, it falls into the category of zoonotic, a disease of animals that can be transmitted to humans (other examples are anthrax, equine encephalitis and rabies). Zoonotic diseases sometimes acquire an extra vigor in human hosts, and both melioidosis and glanders are regarded as potential agents for biological warfare and bioterrorism. The work conducted by Woods and his research staff has little glamour connected with it. It involves the repetitive, never-ending testing of small elements of the problem, chasing after possibilities that more often than not lead to dead-ends. And the simple fact of working in the faculty’s Level Three Containment Laboratory is a chore in itself – changing, showering, and ensuring that every precaution of the security routine is followed – both on the way in and on the way out. Every bit of it will be worthwhile if the product – the vaccine – is ever needed. On the other hand, Woods will be perfectly happy if it is never put to the test. “Even if my colleagues and I have invested countless hours and effort in the development of a vaccine against these biowarfare/bioterrorism agents, we hope that the vaccine will never be necessary, and that it will serve as a deterrent to those considering the use of these particular biological agents for unspeakable acts against humanity,” says Woods. B i o lo g i c a l W a r fa r e The Geneva Protocol, signed by 108 nations in 1925, was the first multilateral agreement prohibiting biological weapons. Biological weapons include any organism or toxin found in nature that can be used to incapacitate, kill, or otherwise impede an adversary. From Spain to Japan, countries worldwide have experienced several incidences of bioterrorism in recent history. The most prominent, from a North American point of view, occurred in the immediate post-9/11 period from September to November 2001; a total of 23 confirmed or probable cases of terrorist-related anthrax dispersion occurred in the United States. of Centres of Excellence Program of Canada. In 2002, Woods returned to his former post, choosing to concentrate on his research program as Canada Research Chair in Microbiology. He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 10 book chapters and 100 abstracts.
Page 1 and 2: Your Faculty A Faculty of Medicine
Page 3 and 4: Contents Vol 2 Issue 1 / Fall 2005
Page 5: Your Faculty / Fall 2005 New Initia
Page 9 and 10: Your Faculty / Fall 2005 Education
Page 11 and 12: Your Faculty / Fall 2005 Service to
Page 13 and 14: Your Faculty / Fall 2005 Internatio
Page 15 and 16: Your Faculty / Fall 2005 Alumni Pro
Page 17 and 18: Your Faculty / Fall 2005 Our People
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Your Faculty / Fall 2005 - Faculty of Medicine - University of Calgary

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