This is pretty cool for people struggling with some drug addictions. Methamphetamine (ironically also found in over-the-counter bronchodialator medicines) can absolutely wreak havoc on families when a member succumbs to its trap. I saw it countless times growing up in Phoenix where the meth problem is huge.
Michael Owens and a team of researchers from the Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the University of Arkansas, think they may have something that helps. Essentially, they’ve discovered a way to produce antibodies that will attach to the nefarious chemicals and removes them from the bloodstream.
From New Scientist:
…they say that a single injection can reduce the level of drug within the bloodstream for several days. By binding to drug molecules, the antibodies prevent them from reaching tissues like the heart and brain, and mark the compounds for clean up by the body.
The antibodies do not last for more than few days, so is there no “plugging” as with Neuromancer’s Case, but this could certainly help people who really want to get off the junk.
Link to New Scientist, Link to patent application
(Via Boing Boing.)