IISc dons put the bite on rabies

BANGALORE: A couple of professors ofthe Indian Institute of Science have developed a DNA vaccine for rabies.Currently, it is undergoing various procedures at the Hyderabad-based IndianImmunologicals Limited and is expected to hit the market in about six months.IISc associate biochemistry professor P.N. Rangarajan, in collaboration withformer director and currently honorary professor G. Padmanabhan, hasdeveloped the vaccine. "This is a new type of vaccine. Plenty of DNA vaccinesare currently being developed for a variety of diseases and conditions includingAIDS, but this is the first successful one,"Padmanabhan told The Times of India.DNA vaccines are made of a modified form of an infectious organism���s DNA.This, when injected into a person, leads to a state wherein theperson���s immune system responds in a protective manner.Padmanabhan���s work in biochemistry, especially in the area of developmentof new drugs against malaria, has earned him this year���s G.M. Modi Awardfor innovative science and technology instituted by the Gujar Mal Modi ScienceFoundation. Some 50,000 persons die in India due to rabid dog bites.At present, rabies vaccines are from cell cultures and are expensive tomanufacture. They cost Rs 300 per injection; a bite victim is required to takefive.However, government hospitals make do with nerve tissue vaccines which havebeen banned by the Supreme Court. "The DNA vaccine will cost muchless than the cell culture ones and is more advantageous,"he said. Whenreleased, the vaccine will be used to inoculate only dogs, especially strays,since they are carriers and account for a majority of the fatal bites.However,clinical trials will begin once permission is obtained from the Drugs ControllerGeneral of India.