Study: Smoking Vaccine Shows Promise
About 20% of Americans smoke. Cigarette-related illnesses account for roughly 1-in-5 deaths around the country. But in a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, doctors say there’s hope for those trying to kick the habit: a possible vaccine.
FOX News Radio’s Chris Hoenig has details…
(CDC PSA) “When you have a hole in your neck, don’t face the shower head.//Crouch, don’t bend over. You don’t wanna lose the food in your stomach.”
The CDC airs graphic PSAs, directing people to their anti-smoking campaign.
(CDC PSA) “You can quit. For free help, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.”
But what if you couldn’t get addicted in the first place? Doctors at Weill Cornell Medical College, using gene therapy to block nicotine from reaching the brain. The study, proving successful in mice.
Researchers say the gene therapy helps the body create more of these nicotine-blocking antibodies on its own, and just one dose is enough to protect against addiction for life.
Chris Hoenig, FOX News Radio.
Editor’s Note: More studies on the vaccine are need. The drug will be tested on rats and primates before potentially moving on to human trials.
