Smokers looking to quit may have a new hope: an antismoking vaccine. The injectible vaccine has been tested on humans and researchers have described the preliminary results as ‘very exciting.’

Nicotine is the principle addictive component of tobacco and acts after uptake via the lungs in the brain. Smoking cessation efforts of most smokers fail because a single slip (one cigarette) often delivers sufficient nicotine to the brain to reinstate the drug seeking behavior. Blocking nicotine from entering the brain by induction of nicotine-specific antibodies may thus be an effective mean to prevent such relapses.

CYT002-NicQb is a therapeutic vaccine in development for treatment of nicotine addiction. Vaccination with CYT002-NicQb induces nicotine-specific antibodies that bind nicotine in the blood and reduce nicotine uptake into the brain. In this way, activity of nicotine in the brain should be reduced and the addiction-driving and satisfaction-inducing stimulus of nicotine minimized. CYT002-NicQb aims to prevent relapses after quitting and thus help people to break their addiction to nicotine in the long term.

Cytos Biotechnology, a Swiss company, just completed the second phase of testing on human subjects and has found it to be very effective.

Reference - Smokers Vaccine, Medical News Today, Elites TV

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