Vaccine promises to end cocaine addiction

• April 19, 2024

A new vaccine It promises immunity to addictive effects that cocaine generated in the body, indicates a new study tested on mice published by the specialized scientific journal Molecular Therapy.

Based on the concept where the antibodies anticocaine, can block certain brain receptors, when inhaling cocaine, so the vaccine could help reverse the addiction .

"One strategy is to treat the addiction using the vaccine against the addictive molecule "said the leader of the research, the Dr. Ronald Crystal, Head of Genetic Medicine in Weil Cornell Medical College.

His team created a vaccine generated from a virus inactive of common flu, with a chemical that mimics the cocaine, published the CNN news portal.

The vaccine triggered an immune response in the vaccinated mice, producing antibodies that bound to the cocaine molecules, canceling them from passing through the blood-brain barrier (a part of the brain), where the cocaine act on Central Nervous System . When the vaccinated mice were injected with cocaine, they did not show reaction to drug.