RESUMO
Chemical warfare agents and chemical terrorism agents have been identified as one of the major threats to human survival and national security currently. The key to dealing with these threats is the effective medical countermeasures of which specific antidotes take center stage. In the past decade,real or potential chemical threats which has sparked regional conflicts,terrorist activities or chemical accidents intentionally or unintentionally have increased the investment in antidotes research and development worldwide. Here,we introduced the research status on medical countermeasures against chemical threat by giving an overview of the United States ″Countermeasures Against Chemi?cal Threats(CounterACT)Program″,and then the recent research progress in antidotes against nerve agents,sulfur mustard and cyanide toxicities were reviewed.
RESUMO
Nerve agent not only inhibit acetylcholinesterase ( AChE) at an early stage, but also induce prolonged and progressive neuroinflammation and delayed neurodegeneration.Recently, the US National Institute of Health ( NIH) has sponsored some major programs of toxic mechanisms and treatment of nerve agents, which aims at the development of quick and effective treatment to acute intoxication and delayed effect.The experimentally effective new antidotes mainly include AChE-targeting drugs, broad-spectrum reactivators and scavengers, antiinflamatory and nerve protection drugs.