
Aakriti Gangwal
Postdoctoral Scholar, Infectious Diseases
Honors & Awards
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Drug Discovery Postdoctoral Fellowship, PhRMA (2025)
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School of Medicine- Dean’s Fellowship, Stanford (2024)
Stanford Advisors
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Shirit Einav, Postdoctoral Research Mentor
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Shirit Einav, Postdoctoral Faculty Sponsor
All Publications
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Anthrax: Transmission, Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment.
Toxins
2025; 17 (2)
Abstract
Bacillus anthracis is a deadly pathogen that under unfavourable conditions forms highly resistant spores which enable them to survive for a long period of time. Spores of B. anthracis are transmitted through the contaminated soil or animal products and enter to the host through the skin, lungs or oral route and can cause cutaneous, injection, inhalation and gastrointestinal anthrax, respectively. The disease is caused by the toxin which is produced by them once they germinate within the host cell. Anthrax toxin is the major virulence factor which has the ability to kill the host cell. The role of protein kinases and phosphatases of B. anthracis in toxin production and other virulence related properties have also been reported. There are two vaccines, BioThrax and CYFENDUSTM, which are approved by the FDA-USA to prevent anthrax disease. Recently, anthrax toxin has also been shown to be a potential candidate for cancer therapeutics. Through present review, we aim to provide insights into sporulation, transmission and pathogenesis of B. anthracis as well as the current state of its prevention, treatment, vaccines and possible therapeutic uses in cancer.
View details for DOI 10.3390/toxins17020056
View details for PubMedID 39998073