Research carried out in the last decade had already highlighted
possible advantages, as CO is produced in the body as part of its own
natural defensive systems. However, the problem has been finding a
safe way of delivering the right dose of CO to the patient.
Conventional CO inhalation can run the risk of patients or medical
staff being accidentally exposed to high doses. Now for the first
time, thanks to chemistry, an answer appears to have been found.
The new CO-releasing molecules (CO-RMs) have been developed in
partnership with Dr Roberto Motterlini at Northwick Park Institute for
Medical Research (NPIMR) and with funding from the Engineering and
Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
�The molecules dissolve in water, so they can be made available in an
easy-to-ingest, liquid form that quickly passes into the bloodstream,�
says Professor Brian Mann, from the University's Department of
Chemistry, who led the research. �As well as making it simple to
control how much CO is introduced into a patient�s body, it will be
possible to refine the design of the molecules so that they target a
particular place while leaving the rest of the body unaffected.�
The CO-RMs consist of carbonyls of metals such as ruthenium, iron and
manganese which are routinely used in clinical treatments. They can be
designed to release CO over a period of between 30 minutes and several
hours, depending on what is required to treat a particular medical
condition.
As well as boosting survival rates and cutting recovery times, the new
molecules could ease pressure on hospital budgets by reducing the time
that patients need to spend in hospital, for example after an
operation. They could even help some patients to avoid going into
hospital in the first place.
Professor Mann added: �This project provides an excellent example of
how non-biological sciences like chemistry can underpin important
advances in healthcare.�
hemoCORM Ltd, a spinout company set up in 2004 by the University of
Sheffield and NPIMR, is now taking the research towards
commercialisation. It is hoped that, after further development work,
Phase 1 clinical trials can begin in around two years, with deployment
in the healthcare sector potentially achievable in around five years.
|