First antidote for carbon monoxide poisoning "cleans" blood in minutes

An engineered protein that acts like a molecular sponge has the potential to change how carbon monoxide poisoning is treated, chasing down CO molecules in the bloodstream and helping the body flush them out in just minutes, without the risk of short- or long-term health issues that come with the current frontline treatment, pure oxygen.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) were focused on a natural protein known as RcoM, found in the bacterium Paraburkholderia xenovorans. In bacteria, RcoM detects trace amounts of CO in the environment, so the engineers believed this could be harnessed to scavenge for CO molecules attached to red blood cells instead.

The re-engineered protein is the basis of the therapy they call RcoM-HBD-CCC. While it's not exactly a catchy name, it possesses somewhat of a superpower when it comes to cleaning out CO. It selectively binds tightly to the poisonous CO molecules, while ignoring oxygen (O2) and other critical chemical compounds, such as blood-pressure-regulating nitric oxide (NO), in the body.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a challenge to treat for several reasons. To start with, exposure can creep up on the body, which is why it's so often called the “silent killer." The gas is odorless and invisible, and can leak from faulty gas heaters or build up from burning natural or propane gases – for example, from cooktops – in poorly ventilated spaces. It's also a major component of smoke inhalation during house fires and, of course, is deadly if gas vehicles are running inside closed areas like a garage.

https://newatlas.com/disease/first-antidote-carbon-monoxide-poisoning/