Osheroff Neil
Department of Biochemistry and Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-1046, USA.
Mol Interv. 2006 Oct;6(5):245-8. doi: 10.1124/mi.6.5.4.
Smallpox is a serious and highly contagious disease that is caused by the variola virus. It is one of the most severe infectious human diseases known, with mortality rates as high as 30%. A successful worldwide vaccination program led to the eradication of smallpox in 1980. However, the high transmission rate of variola virus, coupled with the deadly nature of smallpox, makes this virus a potentially devastating weapon for bioterrorism. Currently, there is no specific treatment for smallpox. However, a recent article on the structure of a variola topoisomerase IB-DNA complex provides an intriguing starting point for the rational design of drugs with potential activity against smallpox.
天花是一种由天花病毒引起的严重且极具传染性的疾病。它是已知最严重的人类传染病之一，死亡率高达30%。一项成功的全球疫苗接种计划于1980年实现了天花的根除。然而，天花病毒的高传播率，再加上天花的致命特性，使得这种病毒成为生物恐怖主义的潜在毁灭性武器。目前，尚无针对天花的特效治疗方法。不过，最近一篇关于天花拓扑异构酶IB-DNA复合物结构的文章为合理设计具有抗天花潜在活性的药物提供了一个引人入胜的起点。
