Scripps Research unveils experimental vaccine to block fentanyl overdoses
Scientists at Scripps Research have developed an experimental vaccine designed to stop fentanyl overdoses before they start, by training the immune system to bind the drug in the bloodstream before it reaches the brain. In mice, brain fentanyl levels fell by about 70 percent, and
Scientists at Scripps Research may have found a way to stop fentanyl overdoses before they start. Instead of reversing an overdose after it happens, their experimental vaccine trains the immune system to bind fentanyl in the bloodstream before it reaches the brain. The team built the vaccine around a molecule with a completely different core structure than fentanyl itself. After four doses in mice, the antibodies recognized fentanyl and several dangerous variants including carfentanil, while ignoring common medical opioids like morphine and oxycodone. Vaccinated mice kept breathing normally at otherwise life-threatening doses, and brain fentanyl levels fell by about 70 percent. Published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Human clinical trials are next. Source: Scripps Research / ScienceDaily.