While some succeed in quitting smoking cold turkey, many people struggle because of one thing: addiction. This bacterium, however, may hopefully be the solution these smokers need.
A team of researchers from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is currently experimenting and working on NiCA2, a kind of bacterial enzyme that may prevent smokers to puff another stick. The enzyme, on the other hand, is derived from Pseudomonas putida, which naturally develops in soil. A chemistry professor Kim Janda acts as the lead in the study.
A person develops tobacco independence due to regular exposure to nicotine, one of the main and popular components of a cigarette. Once this enters the body, it can travel to the brain quite quickly, where it alters the organ's chemical activity. In the end, the smoker feels a sense of high or pleasure.
Nicotine is believed to have a similar effect as heroin or other types of drugs. This means that once the source is depleted, the body looks for it, forcing the person to smoke some more.
In this research, the bacterium requires nitrogen and carbon in order to thrive. It obtains its sources from the nicotine that goes into the body. Its effectiveness to curb smoking lies in the fact that it drastically reduces the half-life of nicotine by as fast as minutes. Thus, it has the potential to prevent the drug and stimulant from even reaching the brain.
Needless to say, the study is currently in its initial stages, but the serum with the enzyme has been stable thus far, a good indication that this has a good chance of succeeding. If this turns out to be successful, it can help as many as 90% of smokers to eventually quit the habit.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 450,000 deaths in the United States every year. However, it's also one of the most preventable causes.
