Halting Heroin

Drugs rely on maintaining a precise form in order to interact with brain cells. If their shape is distorted, like a bent key, the chemical will no longer be able to unlock the nervous system. Creating molecules that attach themselves to the drug, thus changing its shape and rendering it useless offer a chance to vaccinate against addiction. But heroin, produced from poppies such as these, is a moving target – immediately morphing into two separate forms as it hits the bloodstream. Any vaccine, therefore, must be able to bind to all three versions of the drug to successfully block the effects. New research has achieved exactly this – producing a vaccine that significantly reduces addictive behaviour in rats. Scientists expect a human-specific vaccine to be ready for testing within six months, which could be up to ten times more effective than this current version.

Written by Jan Piotrowski

Jan Piotrowski

Writer

A recent Imperial College graduate with a Masters in Science Communication, Jan now works as a freelance science communicator. His interests focus on neuroscience, psychology and the environment.

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• Image by Davric from Wikimedia Commons
• This work is in the public domain
• Research published in PNAS, May 2013