A Cure for Addiction?
Approximately 10% of any population is addicted to drugs or alcohol. This only accounts for substance abuse, it doesn't take account of a gambling addiction, food addiction, etc. In a study done by Stanley Glick, a substance was found that could diminish withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
The rats in Glick's lab spend their days and nights waiting for their next hit. Every rat has a small plastic tube coming out of their head and everyday, for an hour, each tube is connected to a pump that controls a syringe containing an addictive substance like morphine or cocaine. The rats were trained to pull levers for water, but during that one hour, they can use the lever to stream as much drugs as they want. It makes it so that just like humans can self administrate, the rats can too.
To get the rats back on the wagon, Glick administers a substance called 18-methoxycoronaridine (18-MC). This drug could be the miracle pill that addicts need. As stated above, one dose can diminish withdrawal and cravings. 18-MC is a derivative of ibogaine, which is an extract from the root of an African shrub. It was first discovered in 1962, when addict Howard Lotsoff obtained the substance from a chemist friend. About 20 years later, Lotsoff created a company to supply the ibogaine to clincs for addicts in Holland.
It was found that when given a dose of the ibogaine, it works in three stages. First, the addicts battle their inner demons in waking dreams. Next, the user analyzes the dream in a eight to 10 hour evaluation period. Finally comes what Lotsoff calls the "residual stimulation phase," which exists of a sleepless night or two. The clinic ended up treating up to 30 patients that kept off drugs for several months. No follow ups were done because Lotsoff ran out of funding.
In 1991, Glick and his colleagues began looking for a synthetic alternative to ibogaine without the side effects. The search ended when they found a chemist at University of Vermont who was an expert on the anticancer drug, vincristine. Vincrinstine has similar structure to ibogaine, so they began working with the substance to produce the alternative.
Withdrawal is related to how fast the drug disappears from the nervous system. When testing the 18-MC, Glick gave the rats a continuous supply of drugs. Then, he supplied the rats with an opiate antagonist that immediately produces withdrawal symptoms. The rats that were given the 18-MC had few to no withdrawal symptoms.
Even though there is plenty of evidence that 18-MC works, they had trouble raising funds to be able to test on humans. This is because 18-MC is lumped in with ibogaine, which can lead to hallucinations and other side effects. After hearing about the miracle pill, many families have called Glick desperately asking for the substance and unfortunately he is not in any position to give it out.
Source:
The rats in Glick's lab spend their days and nights waiting for their next hit. Every rat has a small plastic tube coming out of their head and everyday, for an hour, each tube is connected to a pump that controls a syringe containing an addictive substance like morphine or cocaine. The rats were trained to pull levers for water, but during that one hour, they can use the lever to stream as much drugs as they want. It makes it so that just like humans can self administrate, the rats can too.
To get the rats back on the wagon, Glick administers a substance called 18-methoxycoronaridine (18-MC). This drug could be the miracle pill that addicts need. As stated above, one dose can diminish withdrawal and cravings. 18-MC is a derivative of ibogaine, which is an extract from the root of an African shrub. It was first discovered in 1962, when addict Howard Lotsoff obtained the substance from a chemist friend. About 20 years later, Lotsoff created a company to supply the ibogaine to clincs for addicts in Holland.
It was found that when given a dose of the ibogaine, it works in three stages. First, the addicts battle their inner demons in waking dreams. Next, the user analyzes the dream in a eight to 10 hour evaluation period. Finally comes what Lotsoff calls the "residual stimulation phase," which exists of a sleepless night or two. The clinic ended up treating up to 30 patients that kept off drugs for several months. No follow ups were done because Lotsoff ran out of funding.
In 1991, Glick and his colleagues began looking for a synthetic alternative to ibogaine without the side effects. The search ended when they found a chemist at University of Vermont who was an expert on the anticancer drug, vincristine. Vincrinstine has similar structure to ibogaine, so they began working with the substance to produce the alternative.
Withdrawal is related to how fast the drug disappears from the nervous system. When testing the 18-MC, Glick gave the rats a continuous supply of drugs. Then, he supplied the rats with an opiate antagonist that immediately produces withdrawal symptoms. The rats that were given the 18-MC had few to no withdrawal symptoms.
Even though there is plenty of evidence that 18-MC works, they had trouble raising funds to be able to test on humans. This is because 18-MC is lumped in with ibogaine, which can lead to hallucinations and other side effects. After hearing about the miracle pill, many families have called Glick desperately asking for the substance and unfortunately he is not in any position to give it out.
Source:
Glick, S. D., Kuehne, M. E.,
Maisonneuve, I. M., Bandarage, U. K., & Molinari, H. H. (1996).
18-Methoxycoronaridine, a non-toxic iboga alkaloid congener: effects on
morphine and cocaine self-administration and on mesolimbic dopamine
release in rats. Brain research, 719(1), 29-35.
This is a very interesting post to read. I know that there are plenty of people battling addiction in the world and to think that it could all go away with one pill. Hopefully, the side effects can be sorted through and the drug can be administered to the people. Good job on your post.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic. However, I have so many mixed feelings on using animals as test subjects. I know this research is very important, because so many problems in this world could be fixed with this magic pill. I would love to see this research continue in hope for a pill with no side effects.
ReplyDeleteThis almost seems so outlandish that it is borderline sci fi material, the things that exist in this world are truly baffling sometimes. I wonder since it has hallucinogenic properties, what class, if any, the chemical falls into or if it has been regulated in that way at all.
ReplyDeleteSources?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and very appropriate for what is currently happening in America right now. There is a huge heroin addiction occurring in the northeast. If this research can be developed into an actual commercially produced drug it could be one of the biggest breakthroughs in modern medicine.
ReplyDelete