Pharmaceutical compositions and methods of blocking Bacillus anthracis

A composition, including at least four sub-compositions, for inhibiting the entry of toxic virulence antigenic factors of Bacillus anthracis in normal cells of an individual by generating antibodies for blocking the binding of the protective antigen protein (PA) to receptors on mammalian cells, and to the edema factor (EF) enzyme, and blocking the lethal enzymatic activity of the lethal factor (LF), the composition comprising:

• (i) an expression vector carrying transcription units encoding each of said four sub-compositions, each of said four sub-compositions consisting of (a) a peptide fragment target directed to at least one functional region of said virulence antigenic factors that is distinct from functional regions in each of the other three peptide fragment targets, said peptide fragment targets comprising SEQ ID NO. 1/ecdCD40L, SEQ ID NO. 2/ecdCD40L, SEQ ID NO. 3/ecdCD40L, and SEQ ID NO. 4/ecdCD40L, and (b) each of said sequence identification numbers (SEQ ID NOS.1-4) connected to an amino terminus of an extracellular domain (ecd) of a CD40 ligand to form four distinct secretable fusion proteins, and wherein each of said sub-compositions generates neutralizing antibodies against said Bacillus anthracis toxic virulence antigenic factors, and
• (ii) one or more adjuvants.