Progress in the Development of Immunotherapies for Substance Use Disorders

Abstract

Substance use disorder (SUD) and drug addiction serious mental health problems worldwide. Recent neuroscience studies have supported the development of new treatment approaches through the identification of novel signaling pathways and the discovery of new drug targets. Addiction vaccines have emerged as a promising treatment option for SUDs. While standard addiction treatments rely on behavioral interventions and pharmaceutical therapy, addiction vaccines provide a novel and potentially transformative technique for preventing relapse and promoting long-term recovery. Monoclonal antibodies, enzymes, and gene therapies for SUD are also being studied. Unlike small molecule medications that directly interact with brain receptors, biologics designed for SUD are larger molecules that cannot penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Instead of acting on brain receptors, these biologics target the drug itself, aiming to block its distribution to the brain and diminish its impact on the central nervous system (CNS). By preventing the drug from reaching the brain and blunting its effects on the CNS, these biologics offer a different approach to treating SUD compared to traditional medications that directly interact with brain receptors. This review explores emerging patterns in the advancement of immunotherapies for SUD, specifically referred to as addiction vaccines.

Cite this article as: Cesur A, Erbaş O. Progress in the Development of Immunotherapies for Substance Use Disorders. JEB Med Sci 2023;4(2):76-80.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.