Antibody Intervention in Cocaine Addiction

Currently there are no reliable pharmacologic treatments for cocaine addiction. An alternateapproach is to block access of cocaine to the central nervous system by the generation of anti-cocaineantibody. This research will determine the feasibility of an active immunization approach to preventrelapse in cocaine addiction. Cocaine or cocaine derivatives will be used to haptenate defined carriers.These conjugates will be used to immunize mice. If high titer cocaine-specific antibody can be generatedwhich blocks toxic effects upon cocaine challenge it suggests antibody elicited via immunization canblock CNS mediated re-enforcing properties of cocaine. The ability of defined conjugate immunizationto alter self-addiction in animal models will be studied in Phase II. Provided efficacy in animal modelsis demonstrated, immunization with defined conjugates can be tested in concert with current substanceabuse treatment programs for its ability to prevent relapse in cocaine addiction in humans within 3-4years.