A protein antidote and sensor for carbon monoxide exposure
Optimization of a carbon monoxide (CO) sensing hemoprotein for applications as an antidote for CO poisoning and a biosensor for CO detection in living cells
This project will build a protein that soaks up carbon monoxide and can act as an antidote or a detector to help people exposed to CO.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11137058 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or someone else breathes dangerous carbon monoxide, researchers are working on a protein-based agent that can bind and remove CO from the blood. They are starting with a bacterial CO-sensing protein that binds CO much more tightly than hemoglobin, and will use lab tests to find the smallest working piece and the key building blocks that give it strong CO binding and stability. The best protein variants will then be tested for safety and effectiveness in preclinical models as steps toward an intravenously delivered antidote and a cellular CO sensor. The goal is to move promising candidates toward future human testing and real-world use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have experienced moderate to severe acute carbon monoxide exposure and need urgent removal of CO from their blood would be the eventual candidates for this approach.
Not a fit: People with chronic low-level CO exposure, conditions unrelated to CO poisoning, or those already fully recovered may not benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could become a fast, field-deployable antidote that reduces deaths and long-term heart or brain injury from CO poisoning and also provide tools to detect CO inside cells.
How similar studies have performed: This approach is novel: there is no existing clinical antidote that irreversibly scavenges CO, though the project builds on a recent discovery of a bacterial CO-binding protein with very high affinity.
Where this research is happening
Detroit, United States
- Wayne State University — Detroit, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dent, Matthew Ryan — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Dent, Matthew Ryan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.