Vaccine blocks cocaine high in mice; could have wider use in addictions

Vaccine blocks cocaine high in mice; could have wider use in addictions

By we are stardust on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:50pm |

Researchers have produced a lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice by giving them a safe vaccine that combines bits of the common cold virus with a particle that mimics cocaine.

"In their study, published Jan. 4 in the online edition of Molecular Therapy and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the researchers say this novel strategy might be the first to offer cocaine addicts a fairly simple way to break and reverse their habit, and it might also be useful in treating other addictions, such as to nicotine, heroin and other opiates." [snip]

"The novelty of this possible treatment is that it hooks a chemical that is very similar in structure to cocaine, onto components of the adenovirus, a common cold virus. In this way, the human immune system is alerted to an infectious agent (the virus) but also learns to "see" the cocaine as an intruder as well, Dr. Crystal says. Once the structure of the new intruder is recognized, natural immunity builds to cocaine particles, so any time cocaine is snorted or used in any way, antibodies to the substance are quickly produced and the cocaine molecules are engulfed by the antibodies and prevented from reaching the brain."

URL:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110104134034.htm

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Why would anybody want to do something as cruel as this? Being a mouse is bad enough already, and just imagine what it is not to have any pockets when you are trying to scrape up enough cash to score some blow and then when you finally make it to the washroom in the disco with Minnie and snort it all up, some laboratory geek goes and blocks your high. Like I say, it's bad enough being a mouse already.

by David Seaton on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:59pm

OK, come on, this is early April Fool's right?

I mean "Dr. Crystal"?....Meth strikes back!! (Quiet as it is kept, I am, myself, per long observation, immune to the charms of blow, a condition which I attribute to a pervasive amphetamine body burden which leaves my brain merely laughing at that jive, overpriced alkaloid.)

by jollyroger on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 12:19am

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