Some cocaine addicts appear willing to risk overdose in order to defeat a new cocaine vaccine, a recent study has shown.
The study, which appeared in the Archives of General Psychiatry, demonstrated that the TA-CD vaccine could blunt the effects of cocaine in some, but not all, patients. The vaccine works by causing the production of antibodies, which attach themselves to cocaine molecules, making the molecules too big too pass effectively through the blood-brain barrier.Of 115 addicts involved in the study, only 38 % produced sufficient antibodies to dull the effects of cocaine, Rachel Saslow of theWashington Post reported. And among the high-antibodies group, only 53 % stayed free of cocaine 50 % of the time. “Immunization did not achieve complete abstinence from cocaine use,” said Thomas Kosten of Baylor college of Medicine, one of the authors of the paper.Moreover, in some of the study participants for whom antibodies made cocaine a disappointing high, researchers found cocaine levels in the body to be as much as ten times higher than previous levels of usage—an obvious attempt to overcome the vaccine’s effectiveness. There were no overdoses, according to Kosten.
5 comments:
thanks for the post.
"Some cocaine addicts appear willing to risk overdose in order to defeat a new cocaine vaccine, a recent study has shown"
Although this doesn't amaze me...it still does. if THAT makes sense.
Makes a lot of sense.
I believe addiction to have a behavorial component and a medical component. Perhaps the study hit a snag because the medical component was address and the behavorial aspect was neglected, which happens all too often.
This is off topic, but I heard Pepsi is giving grants up to 1 million dollars instead of buying ads in the Super Bowl. Not sure if the promotion covers something like the farm.
Here is the link.
http://www.refresheverything.com/blog/
If you submit, let me know. I will ask people to vote for you on my blog.
Thanks Lou. I'll let you know if we submit anything.
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