New Treatment For Cocaine Addiction?

Submitted by Vanessa Mon 01/04/2010

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A recent study, published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, has found that a naturally-occurring bacterial protein may help in the fight against cocaine addiction.

The Study

Cocaine esterase (CocE) is a bacterial enzyme known to break down cocaine. While useful for protecting against the toxicity of a cocaine overdose, CocE has had limited use in treatment for cocaine addiction because it has a short half-life. This new study examined the effects of a longer-acting version of CocE known as double mutant cocaine esterase (DM CocE).

Trained rats, taught to press a button in order to self-administer cocaine, were the subject of this study. The rats who were treated with DM CocE self-administered cocaine less often, and were also protected against the toxic effects of what could otherwise have been a lethal overdose of cocaine.

What Does This Mean?

There are currently no approved medication therapies for cocaine abuse or addiction, but the effectiveness of DM CocE in reducing the self-administration of cocaine indicates that the enzyme may show promise as a pharmacological treatment option. Friedbert Weiss, of The Scripps Research Institute, writes that the results of the study suggest that "long-acting forms of CocE represent potentially valuable treatment approaches not only for the prevention of cocaine-induced toxicity but also for ongoing cocaine abuse in humans."

You don't say, or rather I

Submitted by larrylive on Tue, 01/05/2010 - 08:22.

You don't say, or rather I guess you didn't say did you? And unfortunately no news ain't good news.

What about the TA-CD cocaine Vaccine, now that sounds promising.

Regards,
Larrylive

recovercrackhead@yahoo.com

—

Tho I am cut I am not slain, so I shall lie down and bleed a bit and rise to fight again another day.

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