Imagine being able to get a vaccine that would immunize you against nicotine addiction. After receiving a series of shots that encourage your body to build antibodies to nicotine, the vaccine would render the drug non-addictive. While it may seem far-fetched, such a vaccine is currently under development. When a person gets a vaccine, the shot contains some of the targeted virus or bacteria in a weakened or dead state. In this way, the body is prepared against an attack of the live virus or bacteria, should it occur. The nicotine vaccine trains the body to attack nicotine. It does this by using nicotine haptens in the serum. Haptens are molecules that promote antibody production and attraction when combined with larger protein molecules.
A shot that robs smokers of the nicotine buzz from cigarettes showed promise in midstage testing and may someday offer a radically new way to kick a dangerous habit. In a study, more than twice as many people given five of the shots stopped smoking than those given fewer or phony shots, about 15 percent versus 6 percent after one year. That is comparable to some other smoking cessation aids currently sold and could be an important new tool for people who have failed to quit on other methods, doctors said. The results, presented Wednesday at an American Heart Association conference, do not prove the new approach works but encouraged some experts. Stephen Rennard of the University of Nebraska. The study tested NicVAX, a vaccine designed to “immunize” smokers against the rush fueling their addiction. The treatment keeps nicotine from reaching the brain, taking the fun out of smoking and hopefully making it easier to give up. Some nicotine still gets in, possibly easing withdrawal, the main reason quitters relapse.
A vaccine against nicotine may soon be available to smokers who want to quit. The vaccine stimulates the production of antibodies that bind to nicotine, thereby impeding nicotine from crossing the blood-brain barrier and exerting psychoactive effects. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate intentions to try a nicotine vaccine if one were to become available among a nationally representative sample of smokers. Four hundred and twenty-seven adults were randomized to read one of two versions of a short description about the vaccine. One version framed addiction as genetically influenced, while the other framed it as environmentally influenced. Smokers were then asked about their intentions to use a nicotine vaccine if one were to become available in the future. There were no significant effects of the framing conditions on intention to receive the vaccine. Intentions to try a nicotine vaccine as a cessation method are relatively high among smokers. If the vaccine becomes available, specific groups of smokers may be more interested than others; education and recruitment efforts could be targeted appropriately.