A protein that reverses carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in mice was created by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC. The results of this research could be employed in a further treatment formula that would become the first carbon monoxide poisoning antidote.
The research, published, Dec. 7, in the scientific journal Science Translational Medicine, could help treating this type of poisoning, which often leads to death.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Antidote
More than 50,000 emergencies are reported annually due to this type of incidents, which has become one of the leading global causes of poisoning-related deaths. The CO exposure leads to a replacement of the oxygen molecules in hemoglobin with the gas. Due to the fact that this type of poisoning affects the human body so fast, cognitive recovery takes months, if not years, in some of the reported cases.
Because CO cannot be seen, nor smelled, the gas can easily poison people, leading to lack of oxygen in the red blood cells, which deprives the brain as well as other tissues in the body, leading to malfunctions.
Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Treatment For Humans
The team of researchers has designed a protein that can selectively target carbon monoxide. Once the CO is identified, the formula binds it, thus preventing the gas to be bound to the hemoglobin in our blood. The reason why CO can be so easily bound to hemoglobin is that it sticks better than oxygen, easily replacing it in the bloodstream.
However, in order for the compound to work, the team created artificial neuroglobin (a substance found in the brain), which — at its turn — can be tied to CO 500 times tighter than the gas does to hemoglobin.
When tested on mice, the compound helped them survive lethal dosages of the gas. Further research will have to be conducted before experimenting the effects of this formula on people.
A mouse was delivered 3 percent carbon monoxide, a concentration high enough to kill people almost instantly. The time of the exposure was 4.5 minutes, during which the mouse's blood pressure dropped massively, accompanied by irregularities of the heart rate.
The mouse was then administered the artificial neuroglobin molecule through an intravenous tube, and seconds later the animal's blood pressure started to get back to normal.
"If approved, this antidote could be rapidly administered to victims in the field, eliminating costly delays that occur with current treatment options. We still need extensive safety and efficacy testing before an antidote is available on the shelf, but our early results are very promising," noted Mark T. Gladwin, M.D., chair of medicine, Pitt School of Medicine.
