Can Our Immune System Fight Addiction and Prevent Overdose?

The world's first study enrolls opioid addicts in a unusual vaccine study aimed at curbing reliance on these substances.  

Researchers at Columbia University are testing a vaccine containing an analog of oxycodone and immune-stimulating ingredients to see if it induces productions of antibodies in the bodies of study volunteers physically dependent on opioid drugs. The study hypothesis is that the antibodies will bind to the opioid, and prevent it from crossing the blood-brain barrier and binding to opioid receptors. 

The hope is that this vaccine would not only prevent the euphoric high that oxycodone users seek, but also protect against overdose by averting the disruption of neural circuits that control basic functions such as breathing.

There are already a number of approved drugs that treat opioid use disorder, from Methadone to Naloxone. But this is the first attempt at using a vaccine to try an curb opioid use and prevent overdose.

You can read more about this novel study in The Scientist.