Amphetamine Anti-Dote ?

E-llusion

E-llusion

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In recent years, crystal meth (methamphetamine) and ecstasy (MDMA) have become some of America's top problem drugs. Meth can cause severe problems in the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. Furthermore, because there is no way to remove the drug from the body, therapies tend to focus on treating its side-effects.

But antibodies that bind to methamphetamines and methamphetamine-like compounds to effectively remove them from the bloodstream could change that. Michael Owens, director of the Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the University of Arkansas, US, and colleagues claim to have developed a way to generate them.

The team have not yet tested the antibodies in humans, only in rats, but they say that a single injection can reduce the level of drug within the bloodstream for several days. By binding to drug molecules, the antibodies prevent them from reaching tissues like the heart and brain, and mark the compounds for clean up by the body.

Owens says that his team's antibodies bind to many drugs from the same chemical "family". Cocaine and nicotine are single, specific compounds but methamphetamines share a basic chemical skeleton with many other drugs. So-called "designer drugs" are made by modifying this skeleton to create specific effects. The team say their therapy works for meth, amphetamines and ecstasy.

Read the full anti-ecstasy antibody patent application.

Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Labels: medical

http://www.newscientist.com/blog/invention/2008/03/anti-ecstasy-antibodies.html

Thursday, March 20, 2008
Anti-ecstasy antibodies

Mod Comment: If anyone has more info on this, please share it
 
That is very interesting and has a high possibility for use in the future.
 
Why not just wait till the drug goes from the bloodstream itself. It doesn't take that long at all. Why remove it in the first place?? Is for for o.d.s?
 
^^ as I understand it, if you have the antibodies in your bloodstream, they will attach to the drug molecules and eliminate them, thus preventing you from getting high in the first place...it's meant to stop people from taking the drug. it's essentially like a vaccine, but without the intermediary step of introducing foreign (but inactive) pathogens to the body so that your immune system produces antibodies to it; instead, the antibodies are introduced directly into your body. correct me if I'm wrong?

if anyone with a better understanding of immunology than me can explain why the antibodies themselves aren't attacked by your body when they're injected, that would be awesome? this seems crazy.
 
Scary shit. While this is obviously not a permanent vaccine (this is, instead, 'passive immunization'), it is certainly a first step toward one. Imagine a world in which all children born are required by law to have broad-based anti-"recreational drug" vaccinations, as well as medicinal vaccinations for infectious diseases.

While this is the exact opposite of what Huxley spoke of in "Brave New World" (in this case, the goal of the government is to prevent people from experiencing pleasure), it is still similar in its totalitarian theme.
 
It sounds good to have something that can kill the effects of a drug, but you just know that this will get used in pretty much all the wrong ways. 20 years of the same type of ignorance towards drugs and they'll have one that lasts 6 months and is mandatory.
 
I can't imagine that this 'anti-dote' will be of much use outside of emergency overdose situations. Unless they make an oral dose out of it, I doubt anyone who is 'addicted' to meth will willingly take a shot which they know will stop the buzz. Pills? It's much easier to feed a person a pill once every couple days.

"So wait doc, you want me to come in here once every couple days so you can give me an injection that prevents me from getting spun? Pfft... I'll find a new doctor who'll hand me the benzo's instead!"

Then again, I guess a court could order the injection to be done. Didn't think about that... but you could always argue that you are deathly afraid of needles.
 
What does this article mean by "there is no way to remove [methamphetamine] from the body"?

Methamphetamine is metabolized and execreted from the body naturally in a few days.
 
I emailed the developer, I'm hoping to hear back from him soon. I want to know how they expect it not to attack dopamine as well.
 
^I was wondering the same thing.

And norepinephrine and epinephrine and possibly phenylalanine and tyrosine.

If the dopamine system was damaged enough, it is conceivable that Parkinsonian like symptoms could develop.
 
Yep, I'm worried about where this will take us.

I have no problem with immunizing people from drug abuse, to be honest, but this seems like too much of a danger to do.

Cocaine, no problem.

Heroin or morphine or other drugs needed to ease pain? Big problem.
 
^^I've no problem with people voluntarily deciding to be immunized from drug abuse, but legislated immunization is a potential problem. What about minors? Will they legally be able to refuse if their parent decides they should be immunized? The mentally ill? People sentenced for drug possession? Not to be unnecessarily alarmist, but this could have very serious consequences for a lot of people.

You're right, though; painkillers, ADHD drugs, even potential MDMA psychotherapy...immunization against = bad idea(s)
 
"Anti-drug" vaccine stories pop up every once in a while. All the stories I've read about them have a threshold, by that I mean a user could just take a bunch more to breakthrough. That seems like it would pose a dosing risk...


Oh, and like Ham said, some recreational drugs are actually used legally.
 
What does this article mean by "there is no way to remove [methamphetamine] from the body"?

Methamphetamine is metabolized and execreted from the body naturally in a few days.
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I think what he was implying was that to date we don't have a nalaxone for methamphetamine; there is no real way for us to cancel the effects of an OD, we just have to manage the symptoms.

Very badly worded though.
 
phrozen said:
Oh, and like Ham said, some recreational drugs are actually used legally.
Click to expand...

Such as MDMA...

I have no problem with immunizing people from drug abuse, to be honest, but this seems like too much of a danger to do.
Click to expand...

I guess you could make some argument that out-of-control meth use is always bad - but forbidding people from experiencing drugs like MDMA that (arguably) have the potential to really give you new ways of thinking is just wrong. Especially if these antibodies become mandatory for broad parts of the population.
 
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I guess you could make some argument that out-of-control meth use is always bad - but forbidding people from experiencing drugs like MDMA that (arguably) have the potential to really give you new ways of thinking is just wrong. Especially if these antibodies become mandatory for broad parts of the population.
Click to expand...

When I first started using drugs, I was really interested in this "new ways of thinking" thing. Nothing ever materialized after the drug experienced ended though.

I think that drugs that aren't likely to ever have widespread medical application could be immunized against. Cocaine, PCP, for instance.

But psychedelics (they obviously have unexplored potential), depressants, opioids and even stimulants have very important uses

I don't see why you'd want anyone immunized against amphetamines- they're so widely used in psychiatry. The Scientologists will love it though. Or do they hate this stuff too?
 
^
lol I don't know about whether they'd love it or hate it.


As for coke, I'm sure you're aware it's still being used medicinally as a local anesthetic. And I'm not sure if a vaccine against coke would block it's other derivatives that aren't recreational?
 
they have the same thing for weed, it binds to the canaboid receptors in the brain and prevents it from effecting your brain (used as an appetite suppressant)

but i dont think the focus is to create "drug vaccine", i think it would be most effectively used to help treat meth addiction
 
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