Research in Brief

Research in Brief: Highlights of Recently Published NIDA-Supported Studies

"Light" Cigarettes Deliver Heavy Carcinogen Load New research confirms that smokers who switch to low-tar and low-nicotine brands of cigarettes modify the way they smoke to compensate for the lower nicotine yield, thereby exposing themselves to the same levels of carcinogens they incur smoking higher yield brands. In a comprehensive assessment of biomarkers for tobacco smoke exposure, Dr. Neal Benowitz and colleagues measured carbon monoxide as well as tobacco alkaloids and chemicals representative of two classes of known carcinogens (tobacco-specific nitrosamines and PAHs). This work

Highlights of Recently Published NIDA-Supported Studies

Nicotine and Cocaine Vaccines Move Forward NICOTINE: A vaccine to prevent nicotine addiction demonstrated a good safety profile in a recent clinical trial with 68 healthy smokers. Dr. Dorothy Hatsukami of the University of Minnesota and colleagues found NicVAX to be safe and well tolerated, with side effects comparable to those of placebo. Overall, the reported side effects—most commonly general discomfort, headache, and muscle pain—were mild to moderate in severity. The vaccine triggers the production of antibodies that bind nicotine in the blood and keep it from reaching the brain

Highlights of Recently Published NIDA-Supported Studies

Genes and Amphetamine Individuals who inherit a particular variant of the DAT1 gene from both parents may have a degree of innate protection against becoming chronic abusers of amphetamine or other stimulants, new research suggests. In a study by Dr. Harriet de Wit and colleagues at the University of Chicago, eight volunteers who carried two copies of the "9-repeat" variant of the gene reported feeling little different following oral administration of amphetamine than after placebo. In contrast, 88 individuals with either one or no "9-repeats" tended to experience the euphoric reaction that is

Subscribe to Research in Brief