There are existing options, such as gums, patches and pills, which may help a smoker to gradually quit smoking. However, scientists may have found a way to provide a more successful method using a nicotine-eating bacterial enzyme.
Studies suggest that 80 to 90 percent of the existing method fail in most of the smokers, Tech Times reported. In the efforts to find a long-term solution to this escalating problem, scientists discovered the NicA2, found in Pseudomonas putida bacteria.
This bacteria can be found in the soils from tobacco fields. Studies about smoking and nicotine show that they are dependent on the cigarette's main substance as its only source of carbon and nitrogen.
"It goes along and eats nicotine," said Kim Janda, a chemist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, describing them as little Pac-mans.
The scientists are currently working on an experiment to produce an enzyme from this bacteria that would prevent the nicotine from reaching the brain. The researchers reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society that, after smoking, half-life of the nicotine that remained in the blood was reduced to nine to fifteen minutes from two to three hours.
In short, the enzyme has the capability to reduce the time nicotine persists in the bloodstream, according to Medical News Today.
The viability of the enzyme to be a drug candidate has been tested by the scientist, and they have reported that remained stable for three weeks at 98 degrees (body temperature).
Research study author Song Xue said that the team is hoping to improve the serum stability with their future studies so that a single injection may last up to one month, Pulse Headlines reported.
The scientists also tested the enzyme for toxic byproducts upon nicotine consumption, but the results were negative.
"Our research is in the early phase of drug development process, but the study tells us the enzyme has the right properties to eventually become a successful therapeutic," Janda said.
Many are hoping for the success of this study so that it can be included in the anti-smoking therapy as soon as possible.
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