Vaccines to Treat Substance Use Disorders: Current Status and Future Directions
Tangsheng Lu,
Xue Li,
Wei Zheng,
Chenyan Kuang,
Bingyi Wu,
Xiaoxing Liu,
Yanxue Xue,
Jie Shi,
Lin Lu,
Ying Han
Affiliations
Tangsheng Lu
National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence Research, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Xue Li
National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence Research, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Wei Zheng
Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Chenyan Kuang
College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
Bingyi Wu
Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453100, China
Xiaoxing Liu
Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing 100191, China
Yanxue Xue
National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence Research, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Jie Shi
National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence Research, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Lin Lu
National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence Research, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Ying Han
National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence Research, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Addiction, particularly in relation to psychostimulants and opioids, persists as a global health crisis with profound social and economic ramifications. Traditional interventions, including medications and behavioral therapies, often encounter limited success due to the chronic and relapsing nature of addictive disorders. Consequently, there is significant interest in the development of innovative therapeutics to counteract the effects of abused substances. In recent years, vaccines have emerged as a novel and promising strategy to tackle addiction. Anti-drug vaccines are designed to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies that bind to addictive compounds, such as nicotine, cocaine, morphine, methamphetamine, and heroin. These antibodies effectively neutralize the target molecules, preventing them from reaching the brain and eliciting their rewarding effects. By obstructing the rewarding sensations associated with substance use, vaccines aim to reduce cravings and the motivation to engage in drug use. Although anti-drug vaccines hold significant potential, challenges remain in their development and implementation. The reversibility of vaccination and the potential for combining vaccines with other addiction treatments offer promise for improving addiction outcomes. This review provides an overview of anti-drug vaccines, their mechanisms of action, and their potential impact on treatment for substance use disorders. Furthermore, this review summarizes recent advancements in vaccine development for each specific drug, offering insights for the development of more effective and personalized treatments capable of addressing the distinct challenges posed by various abused substances.
