Vaccine stops cocaine from producing addicting high
According to estimates the number of Americans with some sort of substance abuse or dependence is 22.2 million and – a cost estimated at three times more than the War on Cancer.
Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine have developed a vaccine that is currently in clinical trials that doesn’t fight what most consider to be a real illness or disease like cancer or AIDS. Rather, this vaccine stimulates the inoculated immune system to combat the illegal drug cocaine.
The scientists took cholera proteins and bound inactive cocaine molecules to the surface of the protein. After inoculation the body’s immune system is able to build antibodies against cocaine and blocks the drug from reaching the brain when ingested, thereby preventing it from producing the addicting high.
Dr. Tom Kosten, professor of psychiatry told the Houston Chronicle, “For people who have a desire to stop using, the vaccine should be very useful. At some point, most users will give in to temptation and relapse, but those for whom the vaccine is effective won’t get high and will lose interest.”
Some argue that the vaccine would raise ethical issues surrounding who would get inoculated. Others see the vaccine as something everyone should get along with childhood vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella.
The researchers say that if the vaccine proves to be effective and passes its clinical trials leading to FDA approval for widespread use it would lead to more drugs for combating addiction such as vaccines for combating heroine and nicotine addiction. That would mean at some point in the future we could chose to be inoculated against smoking.
Another unique approach to combating a medical problem with medication was reported on earlier this week by DailyTech. Researchers have developed a nasal spray that combats against sleepiness partly funded by DARPA. The medication is being looked at to help keep troops alert and will likely be used to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy if it gets FDA approval.
Gotta love darpa for the caffienated nasal spray (?)
and… the “war on cancer”… ? Is there nothing left that we haven’t “declared war on”?
I’m all about making a cocaine vaccine a standard part of childhood vaccinations. If it works at making it basically useless and will keep the curiosity of drugs away from kids… Why not? hell make something like that for every drug…
Forced injection for anyone arrested for a drug crime.
I’m a little curious about how someone with a real addiction would react. I mean, basically their body needs that high and they’ll do almost anything to get it right? So if they snort some coke and it doesn’t do anything would they sit there snorting more until they OD’d, or would they simply flip the fuck out?
firstly, as JayS mentioned, it isnt necessarily the high that the addict requires, its the temporary balance it provides after your body becomes accustomed to the drug. So the vaccine would have to address that issue.
I see this as being preventative not a cure…
additionally, drugs are necessary in our communities. It’s a darwinist self-marginalization tool. If you dont end up stealing my shit to pay for your drugs then what the fuck do i care if you get high all the time… if anything, i wish more and better people were getting fucked out on drugs so that a guy like me that doesnt partake just looks better and better by comparison in all walks of life…
you walk into court on a heafty traffic violation like speeding or doing a burn-out after a long line of DUI, some of which resulted in an accident, and you will look like a breathe of fresh air to the judge.