Immune reaction to poison gas brings delayed effects
By Ben Harder
In the weeks following their poisoning by carbon monoxide gas, some survivors develop concentration problems, personality changes, or sensory impairments. The causes of these neurological symptoms and their delayed onset have perplexed scientists.
Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia have identified a potential explanation: a misguided immune response to a brain protein that’s altered by exposure to the invisible, odorless gas. In the immediate aftermath of a poisoning, the right drug might blunt the immune response and prevent delayed symptoms, suggest Stephen R. Thom and his colleagues in an upcoming Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.