Janice Chambers
Mississippi State University, MS·Pharmacology
Nerve agents such as sarin and VX belong to a family of chemicals called organophosphates. They are extremely toxic because they block acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that switches off nerve signals.
- Fields
Pharmacology
Chemistry
Neuroscience
- Topics
organophosphate poisoning
nerve agents
sarin
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jul 2027
What they work on
- Determine whether lower doses of the lead oxime, Oxime 20, alone or combined with 2-PAM, help male and female rats survive lethal doses of NIMP and NEMP, surrogates for the nerve agents sarin and VX.
- Measure how the body handles the lead oxime in a new solvent vehicle, including blood protein binding and breakdown by liver microsomes, in rats and Göttingen minipigs of both sexes.
- Identify the maximum tolerated dose and no-observed-adverse-effect level of the oxime, using pathology, blood chemistry and hematology in rats and minipigs, plus lab tests for DNA damage and drug–drug interactions involving CYP enzymes.
- Synthesize the nerve agent surrogates and the oxime drug, develop a better solvent vehicle, test drug stability, and draft initial chemical manufacturing plans.
More about the research
A terrorist attack or accident involving these chemicals could cause mass casualties. The standard U.S. treatment pairs atropine, a drug that blocks overstimulated receptors, with 2-PAM, an oxime, which is a compound that reactivates the blocked enzyme. However, 2-PAM does not always save lives, and it cannot cross the blood–brain barrier to protect the brain. A better antidote is needed to preserve both survival and brain function.
Why it matters
Victims of nerve agent attacks or organophosphate accidents could benefit from an antidote that works better than 2-PAM and also protects the brain. The pharmacology and safety data from this project in two animal species could support moving the lead oxime toward advanced development and possible FDA approval as a medical countermeasure for mass-casualty events.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
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The school
Mississippi State University: 9 labs on PI Pages, $342M a year on research, 168 research doctorates a year.
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