title: Cocaine pharmacology and current pharmacotherapies for its abuse.
abstract: Cocaine abuse continues to be prevalent and effective therapies for cocaine craving and addiction remain elusive. In the last decade immunopharmacotherapy has been proposed as a promising means to alleviate this illness. By using the organism's natural immune response, an anti-cocaine vaccine promotes the production of cocaine-specific antibodies that sequester the drug before their passage into the brain, where it exerts its reinforcing and thus addictive effects. A series of studies demonstrating the cocaine-blocking properties of various immunogenic conjugates will be reviewed in the context of the neuropsychopharmacological profile of the drug.
authors.affiliation: The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: M Rocío A
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Carrera
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Meijler
authors.forename: Kim D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Janda
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003042:Cocaine / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006241:Haptens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015259:Dopamine Agents; D006241:Haptens; D003042:Cocaine