30-10-2023

Calixcoca

Why in the news?

Recently, Brazil scientists developed a new ‘vaccine’ Calix coca” Vaccine, for cocaine addiction.

The Historical Background of Cocaine Addiction Treatment

• While the creation of a cocaine vaccine may appear innovative, similar research attempts have been done in the United States, which, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is the world's top consumer of cocaine.
• However, these investigations were hampered when clinical trials failed to produce enough findings.

About “Calixcoca” Vaccine:-

• It is a therapeutic vaccine that promises to prevent the addictive effects of cocaine or crack.( Drug Addiction)
• It is offering new hope to millions battling cocaine addiction worldwide.

Working:-

• Calix Coca functions by inducing an immune response that generates antibodies capable of binding to cocaine molecules in the bloodstream.
• This binding process results in the enlargement of cocaine molecules, rendering them too large to pass into the brain’s “reward centre” or mesolimbic system.
• This area of the brain is typically stimulated by cocaine to release dopamine, the pleasure-inducing neurotransmitter.
• Consequently, individuals who receive the vaccine will not experience the desired euphoric effects of cocaine, potentially assisting them in breaking the cycle of addiction.
• Furthermore, it reduces the risk of overdose as cocaine molecules are retained in the blood, bound to the antibodies, and thus, unable to act on the heart or arteries.
• Following encouraging results in animal trials, Calixcoca is poised to enter the next phase of development, which involves human trials.
• Calix coca is designed for recovering addicts who have already discontinued cocaine use and are seeking assistance in maintaining their sobriety.

Significance:-

• Despite the alarming rise in cocaine and crack addiction, there are no approved medications specifically for treating this problem.
• The development of the Calixcoca vaccine, therefore, is a beacon of hope for an effective medical intervention.

Vaccine

• A vaccine is a biological preparation that offers active acquired immunity to a specific disease.
• Generally, a vaccine comprises an agent that has a resemblance to the disease-causing microbe. In this article we will focus on the different types of vaccines in existence.

Vaccines are categorised on the basis of the development process adopted by scientists.

mRNA Vaccines:

• Pfizer and Moderna vaccines developed in the US are mRNA vaccines.
• In this type, vaccines will carry the molecular instructions to make the protein in the body through a synthetic RNA of the virus.
• The host body uses this to produce the viral protein that is recognized and thereby making the body mount an immune response against the disease.

Viral Vector Vaccines:

• Johnson & Johnson, Sputnik V and AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine is a kind of viral vector vaccine.
• In this type, a modified version of other viruses (for example, adenovirus) is used.
• The virus can enter human cells but not replicate inside.
• A gene for the coronavirus vaccine was added into the adenovirus DNA, allowing the vaccine to target the spike proteins that SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter human cells.

Inactivated Vaccines:

• Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Sinovac-CoronaVac is categorised as an inactivated vaccine. In this type, an inactivated live virus is used to create an immune response against the disease.

Spike Protein Vaccines:

• Corbevax is a recombinant protein subunit vaccine.
• The vaccine is being indigenously produced by Biological E, Hyderabad-based Pharmaceutical company.
• The Corbevax vaccine is made up of a specific part of SARS-CoV-2  the spike protein on the virus’s surface.
• The members of the coronavirus family have sharp bumps that protrude from the surface of their outer envelopes. Those bumps are known as spike proteins.
• These spike proteins allow the virus to enter the cells in the body so that it can replicate and cause disease.