One day, a vaccine that blocks Fentanyl from entering the brain in rats could be used to fight the epidemic.
The vaccine did not block the action of other, non-fentanyl opioids, suggesting that it may not prevent pain relief.
The lead author of the study believes that the findings could have a significant impact on the problem of opiate misuse.
Rats were given three doses of the vaccine over a three week period. Rats were given a placebo.
Blood samples were taken at regular intervals to show a build-up of anti-fentanyl antibodies.
The rats were given a drug after the vaccine schedule was completed.
The researchers tested the vaccine's effect on rats' pain responses by heating up the rats' tails for no more than 10 seconds and seeing how long they took to leave.
They timed how long it would take the rats to lick their hind limbs after exposing them to a hotplate.
When the vaccine was administered at the higher of two doses, the rats were able to pull away from pain quicker than the control group.
The vaccine reduced the amount of the drug in the brain.
The vaccine is able to bind to the Fentanyl in the body and prevent it from entering the brain.
There were no adverse side effects in the rats that were involved in the lab studies.
Researchers are preparing for human trials.
The vaccine is made up of components that have already been approved for use in human vaccines, and they expect there to be no side effects.
The components are similar to how a flu shot trains the immune system to recognize a particular target.
Fentanyl is more potent than morphine. More than 150 people die from overdoses every day in the United States due to the fact that doctors have prescribed it for pain since the 1990s.
It only takes a small amount of the drug to cause death. Police have issued warnings about the dangers of black market drugs due to the fact that they are often mixed with heroin.
According to studies, as many as 90 percent of people who seek treatment for opiate use disorder will return to using the drug.
Naloxone can be used in an emergency to prevent a fatal overdose of Fentanyl, but only if people adhere to treatment.
A vaccine that works over a longer period of time could help people overcome addictions quicker.
The study was published in pharmaceutics
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