In order to help Soldiers survive the “Golden Hour”, that deadline so crucial to the survival of trauma victims, researchers are working on a medicine that will keep certain body functions working. In a recent article in “New Scientist“, Hasan Alam of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston was quoted as saying, “You can’t carry a blood bank into the battlefield. What we’re looking for is a pill or a shot that would keep a person alive for long enough to get to them to a hospital.”
The body defends itself from blood loss by going into shock. Prolonged shock can lead to death. According to the article, “Around 6 or 7 per cent of genes change their expression in response to shock, via the removal of “epigenetic”, chemical additions to the genome called acetylations. As histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors can prevent the removal of such acetylations, Alam wondered if these drugs might improve survival after blood loss.”
Based on his hunch, his team took valproic acid, an HDAC inhibitor already used to treat epilepsy, and repeated testing already conducted on rats but this time on swine. His testing showed that pigs that received the valproic acid had an 86% survival rate despite losing 60% of their blood as well as other injuries. He is repeating his trial in order to ensure the valproic acid does not inhibit further healing. If the testing proves successful Alam will seek permission for human trials.