{"id":29484,"date":"2016-02-14T10:34:46","date_gmt":"2016-02-14T16:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=29484"},"modified":"2016-02-16T15:08:08","modified_gmt":"2016-02-16T21:08:08","slug":"a-vaccine-for-drug-addiction-is-in-the-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/a-vaccine-for-drug-addiction-is-in-the-works\/","title":{"rendered":"A vaccine for drug addiction is in the works"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Danielle Prieur<\/strong><\/p>\n

Treating drug addiction with a vaccine might become a solution to combat prescription drug and heroin addiction and the rapid rise in overdose deaths.<\/p>\n

A vaccine, which has undergone tests in animal subjects so far, holds promise, said Dr. William Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The vaccine would \u201cproduce an antibody response which would latch onto the drug of use\u2026and because they\u2019re large molecules they will not be able to cross the blood-brain barrier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compton focused on the prescription drug and heroin addiction epidemic at a panel on the \u201cNeuroscience Clues to the Chemistry of Mood Disorders and Addictions\u201d on Saturday. He said the vaccine might be our best solution, speaking at the American Association for \u00a0the Advancement of Science conference in Washington D.C.<\/p>\n

He estimated there are 200 million prescriptions written for opioids a year in the United States. Usually prescribed for pain, many remain unused and get in the hands of family and friends.<\/p>\n

As prescription drugs are chemically similar to heroin, if a patient becomes addicted to prescription drugs, heroin is a logical next step on the journey to addiction. \u00a0In 2014, more than 50,000 Americans died of drug overdoses, including 19,000 who died of prescription drug overdoses and 10,000 who died of heroin overdose. The remaining overdoses were due to other commonly abused drugs.<\/p>\n

National Overdose Death Rates, Number of Deaths from Prescription Drugs<\/h2>\n
\"Prescription
Prescription drugs prescribed for pain can lead to dependence and overdose. Photo from NIDA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

National Overdose Death Rates, Number of Deaths from Heroin<\/h2>\n
\"Heroin
Heroin addiction can easily follow prescription drug addiction. Photo from NIDA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cThis has had a population impact. There is [decreased] longevity for non-Hispanic whites who are middle-aged,\u201d said Compton.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cScience can help in many ways,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

If drugs can\u2019t cross from the circulatory system into the brain through the blood-brain barrier, Compton said the \u201cintoxication reinforcement\u201d would be halted. If addicts can\u2019t get \u201chigh\u201d from drugs, they are less likely to abuse them.<\/p>\n

Compton used an \u201cempty wallet\u201d analogy to describe how this vaccine would allow addicts to \u201cspend\u201d on drugs, but not get the payback of a \u201chigh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compton said this vaccine would be part of a three-part strategy aimed at combatting the drug addiction epidemic which includes: helping addicts, reversing drug overdoses, and preventing addiction.<\/p>\n

Illustration of Anti-Drug Vaccine from NIDA<\/h2>\n