title: Development of vaccines to help treat drug dependence.
abstract: The social and economic consequences of drug addiction are immense. Although many methods are adopted to treat addiction, including therapeutic intervention and counseling, the long-term success rate has been limited and there continues to be a need for more effective treatments. A novel approach that has sparked a significant degree of interest recently is the use of vaccines designed to raise specific antibodies against drugs of abuse. Antibodies that prevent addictive substances crossing the blood-brain barrier may prove to be an effective mechanism that will help prevent relapse during efforts to abstain from the drug. Proof-of-principle for this approach has been established in numerous animal models. Currently a cocaine vaccine is in phase II clinical trials and, more recently, two vaccines to nicotine have entered phase I trials. Key efficacy trials are required to establish the true potential of these therapeutic vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Xenova Research Ltd, 310 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, CB4 0WG, UK. Campbell_Bunce@xenova.co.uk
authors.forename: Campbell J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bunce
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Loudon
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Akers
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.forename: Doreen M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D018448:Models, Immunological; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D014612:Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines