Adenovirus Hexon-Based Anti-Nicotine Vaccine to Treat Nicotine Addiction
- Detailed Technology Description
- Thisinvention provides a conjugate comprising an isolated adenovirus hexon protein coupledto nicotine or a nicotine analog, as well as a method for using such aconjugate to induce an anti-nicotine immune response to treat and preventnicotine addiction in a human.
- Others
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- Suppression of nicotine-inducedpathophysiology by an adenovirus hexon-based antinicotine vaccine. Hum Gene Ther, 2013, 24,595-603.
- Developmentof a highly efficient second generation nicotine-conjugate vaccine to treatnicotine addiction. Published PCT applicationWO2013154744.
- *Abstract
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The most widely used additive drugin the world is tobacco, of which the principal addictive component isnicotine. However, current strategies to help smokers quit are mostlyineffective, with a 70% to 80% recidivism rate within 6 months.
One approach to treating nicotineaddiction has been to develop an anti-nicotine vaccine. The challenge of this approach is thatnicotine is a small molecule not seen by the immune system, and thus nicotine(or a nicotine analog) must be coupled to a larger molecule to induce ananti-nicotine immune response. Multiple immunotherapy vaccines have been testedin clinical trials. However, all trialsshowed large variation among trial participants in the amount of antibodygenerated and only a relatively small percentage of the participants haveabstained from smoking.
Researchers at Cornell Universityand the Scripps Research Institute have developed a new anti-nicotine vaccinebased on the highly immunogenic properties of the adenovirus (Ad) hexon protein. They coupled the nicotine hapten AM1 topurified Ad hexon protein and tested HexonAM1 vaccine in C57Bl/6 mice. By 6 weeks, the mice vaccinated with HexonAM1generated high titers of anti-nicotine antibodies. When the mice were challenged with nicotine,IgG-bound serum nicotine increased 5.2 fold compared to naïve controlmice. Conversely, nicotine levels in thebrain were reduced by 53% compared to naïve control mice. The HexonAM1 vaccinated mice also showed significantalleviation of nicotine-suppressed locomotor behavior. These studies demonstrate that vaccinationwith HexonAM1 expresses levels of anti-nicotine antibodies sufficient to shieldthe brain from nicotine.
PotentialApplications
Anti-nicotine vaccine for the treatment and prevention ofnicotine addiction
Advantages
- High titers of anti-nicotine antibodies which is sufficient tosuppress the effects of nicotine
- Providea new platform for vaccines against small molecules
- *Licensing
- Brian J. Kellybjk44@cornell.edu212-746-6186
- Country/Region
- USA
