Chemical weapons like anthrax, sarin, mustard and ricin often make headlines, but what about the threat of a terrorist attack unleashing cyanide? Some security experts believe the gas threat is real -- and this particular poison acts very fast, making it particularly challenging for first responders.

Fortunately, a new antidote holds promise. Research undertaken by Steven E. Patterson, PhD, of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Drug Design and colleagues has discovered a promising new alternative antidote. And this antidote could be self-administered, sort of like the average allergy injection pens that many small children carry with them to school. Using a simpler procedure means a far larger number of cyanide victims in a mass casualty incident could be rapidly treated. Patterson’s report appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Learn more about the new antidote to poisonous cyanide attacks