LIVE IN JUPITER, TED WHITE, WPBF
25 NEWS.
TIFFANY: THERE IS CUTTING EDGE
RESEARCH FOCUSED ON TREATING
THOSE IN RECOVERY.
AT THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH
INSTITUTE IN CALIFORNIA,
SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVELOPED
VACCINES FOR COCAINE AND
NICOTINE ADDICTION, THOSE ARE
IN CLINICAL TRIALS RIGHT NOW.
AND NOW THE SCIENTISTS BEHIND
THOSE BREAKTHROUGHS ARE WORKING
ON VACCINES FOR OPIOIDS AND
FENTANYL.
I RECENTLY SPOKE WITH THE LEAD
RESEARCHER IN CALIFORNIA.
HOW DO YOU SEE THIS VACCINE
HELPING.
HOW WOULD IT WORK?
>> ALL THE VACCINES WORK IN A
SIMILAR MANNER WERE BASICALLY
THE DRUGS TRY TO REACH THE
PLEASURE CENTERS OF THE BRAIN
AND THE VACCINE WORKS THE SAME
AS ANY OTHER VACCINE.
THEY BASICALLY BLOCK THE DRUG
FROM GOING ACROSS THE BLOOD
BRAIN BARRIER.
OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS REMARKABLE.
IT PROTECTS US FROM A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT PATHOGENS AND VIRUSES.
THERE IS NO REASON WE CAN'T
TRAIN IT TO LOOK AT IT FOR DUGS
OF ABUSE.
TIFFANY: A VACCINE FOR OPIOIDS
COULD GO TO CLINICAL TRIALS IN
THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
MEANWHILE HERE IN PALM BEACH
COUNTY AT THE JUPITER CAMPUS OF
THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE,
A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY.
AND IT COULD FOREVER CHANGE HOW
THOSE IN RECOVERY ARE TREATED.
>> THIS IS A PROJECT THAT GROWS
WITH TIME.
TIFFANY: DR. COURTNEY MILLER'S
GROUND BREAKING DISCOVERY COULD
FOREVER CHANGE THE WAY DRUG
ADDICTION IS TREATED.
YOUR RESEARCH FOCUSES ON WAYS TO
PREVENT ADDICTS FROM EVER
RELAPSING.
>> THAT'S THE HOPE.
YES, EXACTLY.
TIFFANY: MILLER'S TEAM AT THE
JUPITER CAMPUS OF THE SCRIPPS
RESEARCH INSTITUTE HAS
DISCOVERED A POTENTIAL DRUG THAT
COULD ERASE DRUG-INDUCED
MEMORIES FOR METH ADDICTS.
>> THE PROBLEM IS DURING DRUG
USE, PEOPLE FORM ALL KINDS OF
MEMORIES OR ASSOCIATIONS WITH
THINGS AROUND THEM.
SO YOU GO OUT OF A TREATMENT
PROGRAM AND YOU GO BACK TO YOUR
EVERYDAY LIFE AND THERE ARE
CONSTANT REMINDERS THAT TRIGGER
CRAVING IN THE BRAIN ESSENTIALLY
SO IT IS REALLY HARD TO STAY
CLEAN BECAUSE YOU HAVE THESE
THINGS THAT ARE TELLING YOU YOU
REALLY WANT TO USE AGAIN.
TIFFANY: BY ERASING THOSE BAD
MEMORIES, FORMER DRUG USERS
WOULD HAVE A BETTER SHOT AT
STAYING SOBER.
WHEN YOU TALK TO ADDICTS THERE
IS THIS IMPRINT ON THEIR BRAIN
FROM THE DRUG USING THAT TELLS
THEM, I WANT TO USE AGAIN, I'VE
GOT TO USE AGAIN.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE TRYING
TO ERASE?
>> YES, EXACTLY.
SO USING DRUGS FUNDAMENTALLY
CHANGES YOUR BRAIN.
AND THAT'S WHY WE TALK ABOUT
ADDICTION NOT BEING A MATTER OF
WILLPOWER.
ONCE HE USE A DRUG, A SINGLE USE
COULD TURN SOMEONE INTO A
STRUGGLING ADDICTS.
TIFFANY: MILLERWON A $640,000
GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTES OF HEALTH TO CONTINUE
HER TEAM'S WORK.
-SCIENTISTS HOPE ONCE THEY HAVE A
GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW
THIS PARTICULAR COMPOUND WORKS,
DOWN THE ROAD THEY MAY BE ABLE
TO REVERSE ENGINEER IT TO HELP
WITH OPIOID ADDICTION.
>> THERE IS A PARTICULAR
MOLECULE IN THE BRAIN THAT
REMAINS ACTIVE IN SUPPORTING
THOSE MEMORIES AND NOT OTHER
MEMORIES.
YOUR TYPICAL I LIKE SUGAR
MEMORIES OR I WAS SCARED IN THAT
PLACE MEMORIES.
THOSE DON'T AFFECT THAT
MOLECULE.
SO IF WE GO IN AN INHIBIT THOSE
METH MEMORIES, THAT MEMORY GOES
AWAY.
TIFFANY: EVEN MORE REMARKABLE
MILLER SAYS THIS WOULD NOT BE A
MEDICATION TAKEN DAILY FOR THE
REST OF SOMEONE'S LIFE.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING WE ENVISION
ONLY HAVING TO TAKE ONCE AND
HAVING A LONG LASTING EFFECT.
TIFFANY: JUST ONE TIME, AND
THAT'S IT.
>> YES.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE BUT
THAT IS THE RESULT WE GET OVER
AND OVER AGAIN.
TIFFANY: AND YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO SAY OH THAT'S A LITTLE
SCARY.
ERASING MEMORIES.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND IT IS.
SO WE'VE BUILT INTO A RESEARCH A
TON OF STUDIES TO MAKE SURE IT
REALLY IS A VERY SELECTIVE
AFFECT.
TIFFANY: RIGHT NOW MILLER'S TEAM
IS TESTING THE COMPOUND TO MAKE
SURE IT IS SAFE FOR HUMANS.
THEY ARE ABOUT FOUR YEARS AWAY
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét