Global Biodefense March 13, 2020 Poisons such as organophosphorus nerve agents and pesticides wreak havoc by blocking an enzyme essential for proper brain and nerve function. Fast-acting drugs, called reactivators, are required to reach the central nervous system and counteract damage that could lead to death. To enhance the antidote’s effectiveness, the reactivator’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier should be improved, it should bind loosely to the enzyme, chemically snatch the poison and then leave quickly. A team of researchers in the US (UC San Diego, University of Tennessee, Ohio State University, University of Utah, Oak Ridge National Laboratory) […]
Tag Archives: Nerve agent
Nanobot pumps destroy nerve agents
Eurekalert August 21, 2018 When enzymes catalyze a reaction, they move. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have shown that if enzymes are anchored to a surface and given their reactant, they end up pumping the fluid surrounding them. An enzyme, called organophosphorus acid anhydrolase, can destroy nerve agents. The researchers immobilized this enzyme on a gel that also contained an antidote. The enzyme actively pumps in the organosphosphate compound and destroys nerve agent, and at the same time pumps out an antidote. The system requires no external power source. The nanobot pumps might someday be incorporated into protective clothing for […]