Health Conditions

What is on the horizon?

An experimental vaccine to help people quit smoking is currently being researched. This vaccine stimulates the body to produce nicotine antibodies that bind to any nicotine that enters a person?s blood when he/she smokes. This nicotine/antibody product is then too large to enter a person?s brain, thus preventing the addictive effects of the nicotine from occurring. Small studies so far have reported the vaccine to be safe and well tolerated. However, the effectiveness of the vaccine in helping people to stop smoking has not yet been established. The vaccine will most likely be used in combination with other smoking cessation drug therapies. It is being considered as a smoking prevention vaccine for people who have never smoked before. The vaccine for the use in smoking prevention has yet to be studied. Once clinical studies of the vaccine for smoking cessation purposes are completed, FDA approval will be needed before manufacture of this vaccine can occur.

Research has pinpointed a specific molecule, the b2 subunit, of the nicotine receptor in the body as a critical component of nicotine addiction. This discovery identifies a potential site for targeting future drug therapy in smoking cessation.

Other recent research has shown that persons with decreased function of the liver enzyme CYP2A6 have a less likely chance of becoming addicted to nicotine. The creation of new medications that decrease function of this enzyme may promote improved smoking cessation.

Many smokers report missing the sensory aspects of smoking. Studies using sensory replacement therapy in these patients have shown some promise. Inhalation therapies containing ascorbic acid or citric acid have been tested, both increasing short-term rates of smoking cessation. Further studies of sensory replacement therapy in combination with FDA-approved smoking cessation drug therapy is warranted but has yet to be initiated.