Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science are trying to create a vaccine for a class of drugs most infamously, if wrongly, accused of turning people into face-eating zombies commonly known as bath salts. And their latest results in rats, presented this week at the annual Experimental Biology conference, suggest that theyâre on the right path.
Bath salts are designer drugs made to mimic a natural stimulantâcathinoneâfound in the khat plant. It often comes packaged as an opaque, crystal-like powder that resembles epsom salt, and go under names like Flakka, Ivory Wave, and Vanilla Sky.
Like other stimulants, synthetic cathinones can cause a euphoria, loss of appetite, and a rapid heartbeat. And in large enough doses, theyâve also been linked to fits of psychosis, hallucinations, seizures, and violent behavior. Because of those symptoms, peopleâincluding credulous law enforcement officialsâoften initially blame them for the occasional reported case of cannibalism. But these guesses invariably turn out to be wrong.
The researchers developed a vaccine meant to block the effects of two synthetic cathinones commonly used in bath salt formations, methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (alpha-PVP).
âOnce administered, the vaccine will trigger an immune response causing the body to produce antibodies against the drug,â lead author Samantha Mcclenahan, a doctoral student at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, told Gizmodo via email. âWhen the drug is abused, these antibodies will bind the drug in the bloodstream and limit its distribution into critical organs, thus reducing adverse effects as well as ârewardingâ effects of the drug.â
In experiments with rats, they found the vaccine did indeed help them produce antibodies that bound to MDPV and alpha-PVP, but not to unintended targets, like neurotransmitters and other non-related drugs, including some over-the-counter medicines. And when compared to untreated rats, the vaccine shortened and delayed the stimulant effects of increasing MDPV doses on the ratsâ movement for up to three months, when the experiments ended.
By vaccinating against more than one synthetic cathinone, they theorize, the treatment could provide wider, sustained protection against newer batches of bath salts, since the formulas are often tweaked by manufacturers in an effort to avoid detection by drug screenings and law enforcement.
The dangers of using bath salts are certainly real, but a vaccine may be useful to only a small number of people.
Over 6,000 calls involving bath salts were made to poison control centers in 2011âthe highest tally recordedâbut numbers have steadily dropped since. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centerâs 2016 report, there were just over 2,000 calls involving 1,003 exposures to bath salts made that year (out of a total 2.2 million exposures recorded).
âWhile there has been a drop in bath salt use, this vaccine may still be beneficial to those users,â Mcclenahan said. âIn addition, this research will be available for immediate implementation if bath salt use rises in the future.â
The team believes their vaccine could provide protection for at least six months up to a year, making it an ideal treatment to help people better recover from dependence. And beyond bath salts, they believe their techniques could be used to develop vaccines for other abused drugs. Prior to this research, their lab worked on vaccines and antibodies for PCP and methamphetamine.
Mcclenahanâs team is already testing how well the vaccine work in rats over longer stretches of time, as well as measuring how useful it is at blocking the drugâs cardiovascular and mind-altering effects. They also plan to submit the results from their current study to a peer-reviewed journal soon.
[EB 2018]
