Hard drug addiction is a very serious social problem. Traditional addiction therapy does not always bring the expected results. For this reason, scientists are trying to develop methods to reduce the addictive power of drugs. One of the most dangerous drugs is cocaine. If you are interested in this article, be sure to visit the website cheap rehab UK where you will learn more about effective therapy.
1. Bacteria to cocaine
Prof. Friedbert Weiss of the Scripps Research Institute proposed to use cocaine esterase-producing bacteria in the treatment of cocaine addiction. This enzyme breaks down cocaine, which weakens its addictive properties. Weiss has developed a more stable version of the enzyme that stays in the body for longer and can therefore help heal addiction and protect against the toxic effects of the drug.
2. Medicine for alcohol dependence and cocaine
Jason Schroeder and Debra Cooper of Emory University School of Medicine have a different idea. They invented the drug used in the treatment of alcohol dependence to treat cocaine addiction. This drug blocks the cocaine-boosted production of neurotransmitters that make us feel pleasure. Perhaps thanks to it, people who quit the addiction will not return to it.
3. A cure for forgetfulness
Devin Mueller and James Otis from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in turn, decided to help addicts forget about the pleasant experiences of drug use. This effect can be achieved with a drug for cardiovascular diseases. This type of addiction therapy causes the addict’s brain to stop recalling memories of drug use.
4. Vaccines for cocaine addicts
Doctors at the Yale University School of Medicine vaccinated 55 cocaine addicts and found that 38% of them obtained the antibodies they needed. Animal and human tests have shown that anti-cocaine antibodies in the blood can greatly reduce the body’s need for the drug. Scientists add, however, that addicts need more injections. The studies were conducted for 24 weeks and the results were published in the American Medical Association.
115 cocaine and opiate addicts received 5 active vaccines or 5 placebo injections for 12 weeks.
Cocaine was eliminated from the body in three days, so the researchers tested the participants’ urine samples three times a week. Of the 55 people who completed the study, 21 (38%) developed 43 micrograms per milliliter of antibodies. There was less cocaine (45%) in the urine samples of people with these levels of antibodies.
The number of people who halved their drug use was significantly greater in the vaccinated group – 53% – than in the placebo group – 23%. The researchers reported that about 40% of participants developed antibodies at 20 micrograms per milliliter. This neutralizes one or two doses of cocaine and protects patients from re-using the drug.
– When there are antibodies in the blood, the drug has no effect on the body. Antibodies neutralize cocaine, convert it into an enzyme that is excreted from the body. This keeps the drug from affecting the brain or other organs, says Dr. Thomas Kosten of Baylor College of Medicine, who began his research at Yale.
Only after clinical trials will it be possible to confirm the effectiveness of the described methods, however, the results of animal studies give hope for the development of a drug for cocaine addiction.
The article was written in collaboration with Rehab Helper cheap rehab UK