Quit Smoking Vaccine

Reported November 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- For many smokers, the rush from the first drag keeps them lighting up again and again ... and again. Once a smoker gets hooked, it's hard for them to quit.

But now, after 30 years of smoking, Scott Peters finally wants to give up the habit. "I want to stop smoking so I can try and be healthier and get my blood pressure down," he says.

Over 47 million Americans smoke. It's an unhealthy habit that's difficult to break. Four out of five smokers want to quit and try to quit, but still can't resist the urge to light up.

Peters hopes a shot in the arm will help him quit. He's part of a clinical trial that's testing a new vaccine to help curb his nicotine cravings and stop smoking for good.

"It functions and works a little differently than some of the other drugs that have been developed to treat nicotine dependence," Elbert D. Glover, Ph.D. of the Center for Health Behavior Research at University of Maryland in College Park, tells Ivanhoe.

Smoking causes nicotine to go straight to the brain. The vaccine creates antibodies that stop nicotine molecules from getting to your brain. Smokers then no longer feel good from nicotine, lose interest in cigarettes, and give them up.

"Nicotine molecules are very, very small molecules," Dr. Glover says. "So if someone smokes, [the antibodies] attack the nicotine, bind to that, and form a larger molecule that doesn't allow it to cross the brain barrier."

Volunteers record daily feelings of cravings and withdrawal on a PDA -- this helps addiction specialists monitor the vaccine's effectiveness. Early results show it has great promise to help smokers quit.

"Ultimately what we hope is it will be an incredibly safe drug and easy to take," Dr. Glover says.

The vaccine study is currently recruiting smokers who want to quit in several locations throughout the United States. Volunteers take part in the testing over the course of one year, receiving four to five shots of either the vaccine or a placebo, and visiting the center for health checks, interviews and counseling. Call (301) 405-0128 to find the study nearest to you.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Department of Public and Community Health
College of Health and Human Performance
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
(301) 405-2463

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