Organophosphates, serine esterase inhibition, and modeling of organophosphate toxicity

Abstract

The highlighted article in this issue (Ashani and Pistinner, "Estimation of the Upper Limit of Human Butyrylcholinesterase Dose Required for Protection against Organophosphates toxicity: A Mathematically Based Toxicokinetic Model") is an innovative approach to modeling the amount of protective enzyme, human butyrylcholinesterase, that could be administered to humans to protect them from the lethal effects of organophosphate nerve agents. The threat of nerve agent exposures at lethal level regrettably remains a threat to military as well civilian populations, and the authors of this article have used their previous experimental data along with new in vitro data to devise and calibrate a mathematical model that could have practical utility in the prophylaxis of military personnel against chemical warfare agents.