预防可卡因成瘾疫苗有望
路透社纽约健康消息 科学家报告，一种正在进行实验的疫苗可与血流中的可卡因结合，从而阻断了可卡因对大脑的作用，预防可卡因成瘾。尽管这种疫苗到目前为止只在小鼠身上做了评估，但人体试验马上就会要开始。
这种疫苗是可卡因的一种衍生物，附着在大的蛋白质分子上。将其注入到血流中，可以刺激机体的免疫系统，产生对抗可卡因的抗体。这种抗体会牢牢地附着在血液中的可卡因分子上，阻断可卡因与大脑的受体结合，从而阻止可卡因发生作用。疫苗的研究者，金·扬达博士相信，这种疫苗会在毒瘾还不大的时候就发挥作用，防止毒瘾进一步发展。只要能预防毒瘾加深，就能预防复发，并可以加快脱瘾治疗的步伐。
早期的可卡因疫苗都不能产生足够强的免疫反应来阻断血流中所有的可卡因。这种新型的疫苗与前不同。扬达博士和加州研究所的同事们对这种新型的疫苗进行了测试，他们让小鼠摄取可卡因，并利用这种啮齿类动物的活跃程度来测量可卡因对大脑的作用。根据《美国国家科学院学报》二月份第13期的报导，当一些小鼠注射疫苗之后，它们的活跃程度立刻比注射前降低了四分之一，其它一些在注射和未注射疫苗的小鼠中所做的可卡因活跃程度的测量也有明显的差别。这种差别在注射了几次可卡因之后仍然存在。
, 百拇医药
扬达博士说，这种的疫苗比以前疫苗的持续作用时间更长。提示抗体在血循环中的持续时间会更长，不需要反复使用疫苗。该疫苗马上就可以进入临床试验阶段。加州芒廷维尤市的一家叫做反药物滥用科学的公司已经取得了这项专利在该领域的使用执照，他们会把疫苗推广到临床中去。
来源：《美国国家科学院学报》
Vaccine May Help Treat Cocaine Addiction
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An experimental vaccine that blocks the effects of cocaine on the brain by tying it up in the bloodstream may help treat cocaine abuse, scientists report.
, 百拇医药
Although the vaccine has so far only been evaluated in rats, testing in humans is due to begin soon. ``We believe the vaccine will protect addicts at weak moments when they have the urge to get high,‘‘ Dr. Kim D. Janda told Reuters Health. ``If we can prevent the high, we can prevent relapse, and this would speed the process of kicking the addiction.‘‘
The vaccine is a derivative of cocaine attached to a larger protein. Injecting it into the bloodstream stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against cocaine. The antibodies work by attaching themselves to cocaine molecules in the blood, stopping them from reaching receptors in the brain, thus blocking their effects.
, 百拇医药
This is not the first time that a cocaine vaccine has been tried, the authors explain, but earlier vaccines did not generate a powerful enough immune reaction to lock up all the cocaine in the blood.
Janda and colleagues from The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, tested their new vaccine--designed to generate a stronger cocaine-blocking response--in rats. They gave rats cocaine and used the rodents‘ hyperactivity as a measure of the effects cocaine was having on their brains.
, 百拇医药
When the researchers then gave some of the rats the vaccine, hyperactivity dropped to about one-quarter the level seen before vaccination, according to the report in the February 13th Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences。Other measures of cocaine activity also differed substantially between vaccinated and unvaccinated rats, the report indicates, and these differences persisted through several cocaine challenges.
``The current vaccine provides a much longer lasting effect than our previous vaccines,‘‘ Janda told Reuters Health, ‘‘suggesting that boosting requirements would be minimal and the antibody circulation time would be increased.‘‘ The new vaccine should be in clinical trials soon. ``A company called Drug Abuse Sciences in Mountain View, California, will be moving this forward into the clinic. They have licensed our patents in the area,‘‘ Janda said.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, http://www.100md.com
这种疫苗是可卡因的一种衍生物，附着在大的蛋白质分子上。将其注入到血流中，可以刺激机体的免疫系统，产生对抗可卡因的抗体。这种抗体会牢牢地附着在血液中的可卡因分子上，阻断可卡因与大脑的受体结合，从而阻止可卡因发生作用。疫苗的研究者，金·扬达博士相信，这种疫苗会在毒瘾还不大的时候就发挥作用，防止毒瘾进一步发展。只要能预防毒瘾加深，就能预防复发，并可以加快脱瘾治疗的步伐。
早期的可卡因疫苗都不能产生足够强的免疫反应来阻断血流中所有的可卡因。这种新型的疫苗与前不同。扬达博士和加州研究所的同事们对这种新型的疫苗进行了测试，他们让小鼠摄取可卡因，并利用这种啮齿类动物的活跃程度来测量可卡因对大脑的作用。根据《美国国家科学院学报》二月份第13期的报导，当一些小鼠注射疫苗之后，它们的活跃程度立刻比注射前降低了四分之一，其它一些在注射和未注射疫苗的小鼠中所做的可卡因活跃程度的测量也有明显的差别。这种差别在注射了几次可卡因之后仍然存在。
, 百拇医药
扬达博士说，这种的疫苗比以前疫苗的持续作用时间更长。提示抗体在血循环中的持续时间会更长，不需要反复使用疫苗。该疫苗马上就可以进入临床试验阶段。加州芒廷维尤市的一家叫做反药物滥用科学的公司已经取得了这项专利在该领域的使用执照，他们会把疫苗推广到临床中去。
来源：《美国国家科学院学报》
Vaccine May Help Treat Cocaine Addiction
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An experimental vaccine that blocks the effects of cocaine on the brain by tying it up in the bloodstream may help treat cocaine abuse, scientists report.
, 百拇医药
Although the vaccine has so far only been evaluated in rats, testing in humans is due to begin soon. ``We believe the vaccine will protect addicts at weak moments when they have the urge to get high,‘‘ Dr. Kim D. Janda told Reuters Health. ``If we can prevent the high, we can prevent relapse, and this would speed the process of kicking the addiction.‘‘
The vaccine is a derivative of cocaine attached to a larger protein. Injecting it into the bloodstream stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against cocaine. The antibodies work by attaching themselves to cocaine molecules in the blood, stopping them from reaching receptors in the brain, thus blocking their effects.
, 百拇医药
This is not the first time that a cocaine vaccine has been tried, the authors explain, but earlier vaccines did not generate a powerful enough immune reaction to lock up all the cocaine in the blood.
Janda and colleagues from The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, tested their new vaccine--designed to generate a stronger cocaine-blocking response--in rats. They gave rats cocaine and used the rodents‘ hyperactivity as a measure of the effects cocaine was having on their brains.
, 百拇医药
When the researchers then gave some of the rats the vaccine, hyperactivity dropped to about one-quarter the level seen before vaccination, according to the report in the February 13th Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences。Other measures of cocaine activity also differed substantially between vaccinated and unvaccinated rats, the report indicates, and these differences persisted through several cocaine challenges.
``The current vaccine provides a much longer lasting effect than our previous vaccines,‘‘ Janda told Reuters Health, ‘‘suggesting that boosting requirements would be minimal and the antibody circulation time would be increased.‘‘ The new vaccine should be in clinical trials soon. ``A company called Drug Abuse Sciences in Mountain View, California, will be moving this forward into the clinic. They have licensed our patents in the area,‘‘ Janda said.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, http://www.100md.com