CDD receives $2.5 million grant for developing cyanide antidotes

The University of Minnesota Center for Drug Design has been awarded a $2.5 million, 5-year grant by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to research antidotes for cyanide poisoning. The study, Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats: Countermeasures Against Cyanide, will be led by Profs Herbert Nagasawa, Robert Vince, and Steve Patterson. The Center for Drug Design has already developed a series of antidotes that can convert cyanide into a non-toxic substance through the use of a cellular enzyme. These antidotes are quicker than current treatment and can be delivered either orally or intravenously.