An experimental vaccine in the treatment of alcoholism gives anyone who drinks even the slightest amount of alcohol an instant and intense hangover.
Scientists from the University of Chile have been studying this experimental treatment for a year in an attempt to curb the increasingly prevalent issue of alcoholism in the country, according to the Daily Mail.
The vaccine works by communicating with the liver and telling it not to express genes that metabolize alcohol. Therefore, if someone does drink it will cause all the unpleasant symptoms of a hangover, in the hope of deterring an alcoholic from drinking.
Director of the Institute for Cell Dynamics and Biotechnology at the University Dr. Juan Asenjo says that while he does not expect the vaccine to fix all the issues that arise from alcoholism, he does believe the development of the vaccine is the first step in the right direction in the fight against the disease, according to The Santiago Times.
"People who end up alcoholics have a social problem, a personality problem because they're shy, whatever, and then they are depressed," he said. "So it's not so simple. Bur if we can solve the chemical, the basic part of the problem, I think it could help quite a bit."
A preclinical trial is scheduled to begin in February where mice will be used to determine appropriate dosing procedures, according to Asenjo. The findings from the preliminary trial will be used to apply the treatment to humans in November and the vaccine could be available within a couple years.
The World Health Organization reports that one in 15 men have a disorder related to alcohol use in Chile.
"If it works, it's going to have a worldwide impact, but with many vaccines one has to test them carefully," Asenjo said. "I think the chances that this one will work are quite high."
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