U.S. seeks new nerve agent countermeasure

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A U.S. military project to develop new countermeasures to nerve agents is being previewed next month to potential contract bidders.

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said the project would involve human butyrylcholinesterase, a bio-scavenger that binds a nerve agent in the blood stream before it can affect the nervous system.

"The use of chemical agents by enemy forces or terrorists poses a threat to U.S. troops and civilian populations," DARPA said. Human butyrylcholinesterase "has emerged as a potential new approach to reduce toxicity of chemical warfare nerve agents.

"A biological scavenger should have little or no behavioral or physiological side effects, which is an improvement over currently available treatments."

The workshop for possible proposers for collaborative contracts will be Jan. 20. DARPA will lay out its goal to demonstrate that recombinant butyrylcholinesterase can be expressed using a pharmaceutical platform in Nicotiana benthamiana plants.

Interested organizations have until Jan. 17 to register.