Weapons Targeted at Nervous System

Lecture No. 17

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1. Outline

• A Loophole the CWC?– Slides 2 - 5

• Some History of Concern– Slides 6 - 8

• Hostile Use of Bioregulators– Slides 9 - 12

• Attacking the Nervous System– Slides 13 -20

2. A Loophole in the CWC? (i)

• As chemistry and biology essentially merge in the life sciences we have to think of a biochemical threat spectrum consisting of:– Classical chemical weapons;– Industrial chemicals;– Midspectrum agents such as toxins and bioregulators;– Traditional biological agents;– Genetically modified biological agents; and– Novel biological agents.

3. A Loophole in the CWC? (ii)

• “Article II.1. ‘Chemical Weapons’ means the following, together or separately:– (a) Toxic chemicals and their precursors, except

where intended for purposes not prohibited under this Convention…

• Article II.2. ‘Toxic Chemical’ means:– Any chemical which through its chemical action on life

processes can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm to humans or animals…”

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4. A Loophole in the CWC? (iii)

• “Article II.9. ‘Purposes Not Prohibited Under this Convention’ means:– (a) Industrial, agricultural, research, medical,

pharmaceutical or other peaceful purposes;– (b) Protective purposes, namely those purposes

directly related to protection against toxic chemicals and to protect against chemical weapons…

– (d) Law enforcement including domestic riot control purposes.”

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5. A Loophole in the CWC? (iv)

• “The risks associated with advances in science and technology would increase significantly, should dedicated CW programs be able to take advantage of them. There is, therefore, good reason to call for transparency in chemical defense programs, and to carefully assess the CWC compatibility of the development of devices that use toxic chemicals for law-enforcement purposes (including so-called ‘nonlethal weapons’)…”

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6. Some History of Concern (i)

• “Hypotension was one such mechanism, for at that time the drug firms were starting to have impressive success in finding new therapeutics for hypertension…

• Emesis was a second example, for a retching and vomiting soldier would clearly not be an effective one. Besides the harassing vomiting agents such as adamsite, a great many emetics are known, notably apomorphine and the staphylococcal enterotoxins…”

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7. Some History of Concern (ii)

• “The disturbance of body temperature was a third example of something an incapacitating agent might cause. A raised temperature can lead to incapacitating heat stroke and heat exhaustion…

• Further examples include inhibition of the labyrinthine reflexes in loss of the sense of balance; muscular hypotonia, leading to paralysis; temporary blindness…uncontrollable muscular tremors…and many different psychotropic effects…”

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8. Some History of Concern (iii)

– “…Given the pace of research, concern has emerged about the potential for abuse of these novel peptides. Bioregulators are thought by some to be especially important, since it is said they could be used in incapacitating weapons.

– …Chemical synthesis techniques allow selective modification of the peptides….it is possible to make modifications which significantly increase the activity of the peptide. This would decrease the dose necessary for the biological effect…. Because bioregulators have many different sites of action, this gives rise to the possibility of selectively affecting mental processes…”

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9. Hostile Use of Bioregulators (i)

• Objectives– “…providing a comprehensive survey of the medical

literature identifying pharmaceutical agents that produce a calm state….providing an in-depth review of selected calmatives…with a high potential for further consideration as a non-lethal technique…to identify and provide recommendations on new areas in pharmaceutical drug development that may meet the requirements…as non-lethal techniques.”

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10. Hostile Use of Bioregulators (ii)

• Findings related to the literature search– “First there is an explosion of new knowledge and

developments in pharmaceuticals producing sedation and/or calm behavior….

– Second, the goals of new drug development efforts, namely continued improvement in specificity, selectivity, safety and reversibility are the goals for improvements in non-lethal techniques….

– Third, new classes of …agents…are poised to meet the unique requirements of the non-lethal warfare arena…”

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11. Hostile Use of Bioregulators (iii)

• Potential calmatives– “The researchers identified several drug classes (e.g.

benzodiazepines, alpha 2-adrenoreceptor agonists) and individual drugs (diazepam, dexmedetomidine) found appropriate for immediate consideration as a non-lethal technique. Equally important, the researchers identified many promising new developments that deserve further consideration with high potential as prototypical calmatives available in the near future.”

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12. Hostile Use of Bioregulators (iv)

• Recommendations– “…Several innovative approaches are under

investigation for improving drug delivery via oral, pulmonary… and transdermal routes….

– The pulmonary route of drug administration continues to offer the advantage of a rapid non-invasive method of delivery of peptides... There is considerable information available on the size of particle aerosols that can be inhaled…

– Innovations in drug delivery will be an important strategy towards…improvement of…non-lethal techniques.”

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13. Attacking the Nervous System (i)

• In 2008 the US National Academies Press publishes– Emerging Cognitive Neuroscience a report of

the Committee on Military and Intelligence Methodology for Emergent Neurophysiological and Cognitive/Neural Science Research in the Next Two Decades

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14. Attacking the Nervous System (ii)

• “The Committee…was tasked by the Technology Warning Division of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s (DIA’s) Defense Warning Office to identify areas of cognitive neuroscience and related technologies that will develop over the next two decades and that could have military applications…”

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15. Attacking the Nervous System (iii)

• “ The label ‘cognitive’…is used in a broad sense…to refer to psychological and physiological processes underlying human information processing, emotion, motivation, social influence and development….The label ‘neuroscience’ is also used in a broad sense…and includes the study of the central nervous system (e.g., brain) and somatic, autonomic, and neuroendocrine processes.”

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16. Attacking the Nervous System (iv)

• Chapter 2 Current Cognitive Neuroscience Research and Technology: Selected Areas of Interest…– Neuropharmacology

• Overview• Cognitive Enhancers• Implications for agents that may act to change or disrupt

various aspects of human psychology• Nanotechnology in Medicine

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17. Attacking the Nervous System (v)

• Key Finding (Finding 2-4)– “…nanotechnologies that allow drugs to cross the

blood-brain barrier, increase the precision of delivery, evade immune system defenses, evade metabolism, or prolong actions at cellular or downstream targets will be of particular importance. These technologies will increase the likelihood that various peptides, or other brain proteins, could ultimately be utilized as drugs. Development of antidotes or protective agents against various classes of drugs that could be used by an enemy force will also be important.”

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18. Attacking the Nervous System (vi)

• Assessment: Neuropsychopharmacology– “…One type of identifiable threat might be

development of antagonists for drug entities that currently have no antagonists….Such antagonists could allow adversaries to protect their own warfighters against an agent that is widely dispersed (for example in gas, in aerosols, in drinking water, or by high-altitude delivery). Another type would be the coupling of known agents with unexpected routes of administration, doses, or personnel protective agents. A known example is the aerosol use of fentanyl during the Russian hostage-taking…”

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19.Attacking the Nervous Nervous System (vii)

• “Other threats could arise from training of warfighters to operate under new pharmacological conditions. An adversary could train warfighters to operate under the influence of chemical agents that ordinarily disrupt performance or could modify warfighters to resist such agents.…by means of changes in genetics….Either tactic could allow adversaries to operate while chemical agents are dispersed against civilians or U.S. combatants…”

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20. Attacking the Nervous System (viii)

• “Particularly important changes in drug development could arise from the emerging field of personalized medicine….Drugs tailored to a person’s genetic, psychological, or situational conditions might, for example, increase cognition or performance and reduce disruptive or mission-incompatible side effects….technology surprise may well stem from an adversary’s willingness to use means that U.S. warfighters would not use because of ethical values and policy constraints.”

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References

Questions