Evening star., 1952-09-07
By Alton [. BIokesIee
Associo,ed Press SCIENCE Editor


Associated Press Science Editor
NEW YORK, Sept. 6.-Science
in 1852 is close to a vaccine to pre-
vent polio.
The vaccine is one big bet for a
Imajor break-through against the
Icrippling disease. 1t may be ready
for human tests quite soon.
This promise comes as polio ap-
Ipears headed for its worst year
yet. The polio case rate is run
ming ahead of 1949, which brought
an all-time high of 42.337 report
ed cases.
AS yet, medical science can't
halt polio's march-the epidemics
that surged from the South up
Through Mississippi Valley States
this year, the explosions breaking
out sporadically in States in the
East and West.
But research Is making good
progress, and appears on the eve
of big accomplishments.
Blood Carries Antibodies.
Here, from officials of the Ma
tional Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis, is the picture Of latest
research advances:
/. Polio prevention:
The first weapon may be gamma
globulin, the medicine from hu-
man blood that carries antibodieS.
Most adults have been exposed to
polio, and carry the polio anti
bodies in their blood.
Shots of gamma globulin pre-
vent paralysis from polio in
monkeys, if the shots are given
soon after the monkeys swallow
polio virus.
Whether it will protect humans,
too. will be answered sometime
this winter, after analysis of
gamma globulin tests on $4,000
children in Texas, Iowa and Utah
during the last two summers.
If they do work, gamma glob-
ulin shots would protect only
temporarily, perhaps for a few
weeks time. After that, the anti
bodies from the donated gamma
lglobulin would disappear.
Gamma globulin could act as
Ia fireman. to extinguish or limit
polio epidemics breaking out in
Ia town or area. Polio might be
confined and partially disarmed.
lGetting enough blood donations
flor large supplies Of gamma
Iglobulin would be a problem.
Vaccine Effects Last Longer.
A better hope is a real vaccine,
Ito give long-lasting protection.
The vaccine would contain real
polio virus, treated beforehand SO
lit couldn't cause sickness, but still
with the power to make the hu-
Imam body produce antibodieS.
Antibodies made this way would
last for months or perhaps years,
lready to neutralize any invasions
later by the polio virus.
| Scientists now can grow polio
virus for vaccines on animal It's
|sue, on tissues other than nerves,
and they know there are only
three types or strains Of polio
virus that can cause human sick
ness. The vaccine must contain
all three types for complete pro-
lection.
One way to make a safe vaccine
is to kill the virus with formalde-
hyde.
This kind Of vaccine protects
monkeys from polio. It is the
kind nearly ready now for human
TESTS. It might give protection
lasting a year or two. after which
children and adults could get
weaker booster shots.
4 Live Virus Considered.
4 Another hope is to use live virus
safely. Scientists find that the
virus growing on non-nervous tis-
sue of animals undergoes a change
after a time, and loses some Of
its ability to invade nerves.
They aim at getting live virus
so altered that it couldn't cause
human sickness. but could stimu-
late production of antibodies last
ing perhaps for years.
Now, if gamma globulin works
to give protection, shots OF il
could be given at the same time
as the vaccine. The gamma glo-
bulin might give extra insurance
against any possibility Of sickness
from the vaccine.
All these findings are the pay
off from years of research. cost