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February 27, 2008
H ealth MATTERS
Drug Addiction Vaccine Offers Hope
Prevents body from
getting high
( A P) — In a search for w hat co u ld be the ultim ate
cure for drug addiction, scien tists have developed
a v accine w hich p revents the body front getting
high.
The hope is that it can stop people from falling back
into a spiral o f addiction if they have a relapse.
The most prom ising results so far have been with
cocaine, but researchers hope it could also one day be
used to cure addiction to m etham phetam ine, heroin
and even cigarettes.
"The vaccine slowly decreases the am ount o f co­
caine that reaches the brain," said Thom as Kosten, a
professor o f psychiatry and neuroscience at Baylor
College o f M edicine in Houston, who has been w ork­
ing on the vaccine since 1995.
"It's a slow process, and patients do not go through
any significant w ithdraw al symptoms."
The vaccine works by getting the body's immune
system to recognize the drug as foreign and attack it
should start making antibodies to it,'" Kosten said.
The cocaine m olecules eventually pass through
the kidneys and are excreted through the urine.
That stops the drug from reaching the brain and
producing a sought-after high.
Use o f the vaccine w ould lead to a gradual tapering
of dependence, Kosten said.
"G radually, antibody levels w ould rise. If you kept
using (cocaine), you'd get less and less o f an effect."
O f all the drugs tested, cocaine is the easiest one for
which to develop a vaccine because o f an enzym e in
the bloodstream , cholinesterase, that helps break it
dow n, Kosten said.
He has also begun to test vaccines for m etham phet­
am ine and heroin in animal studies, and hopes to
eventually add nicotine to the list.
"That’s going to be the m oneym aker," he said.
A cocaine sample in a medical laboratory.
The injections are designed for therapeutic — not
for preventative - use, and are m eant for those already
in the blood stream.
It does so by injecting an altered version o f the drug suffering from addiction.
The vaccine has one m ore large-scale hum an study
into the body w hich has been attached to a protein that
scheduled
before it is ready for the federal Food and
the body will recognize as a threat.
"The body then says, 'This is a foreign article. I Drug A dm inistration approval process.
Health Disparities Research Supported
Aim is better
healthcare to
disadvantaged
Kaiser Perm anente has donated $1.5
million to create the M erwyn R. (Mitch)
Greenlick Scientist for Health Disparities.
T he en d o w ed positio n honors Dr.
Greenlick, the founding director of Kaiser
Perm anente's Center for Health Research in
Portland.
Under his leadership from 1964 to 1995,
the CHR becam e a nationally renow ned
research institution that played a key role
in federal legislation to provide healthcare
to disadvantaged populations.
A national search is now under way to
find a first-rate scientist trained in health
disparities research to carry on this legacy.
“I’m absolutely thrilled and honored to
H ealth W atch
Newborn C are for M ultiples - Saturday, March 1,
from 1 to 5 p.m ., parents o f twins or m ultiples learn
about caring for the infants after birth; $45 per couple.
To register, call 503-574-6595.
Infant CPR C la s s - Monday, March 3, from 6to8p.m „
parents and fam ily m em bers will learn proper infant
CPR procedures; $34 perperson. To register, call 503-
574-6595.
Childbirth Preparation - Friday, March 7,7 to 9 p.m.,
four-week series is help first ti me parents become more
com fortable with labor and delivery process; $85 per
couple. T o register, call 503-574-6595.
Putting the Squeeze on High Blood Pressure -- Tues-
day,M arch 1 l.fro m l:3 0 to3p.m .atT erw illigerP laza;
$5. For more information, call 503-241 -3059.
M aking Sense o f M edicare — W ednesday, March 12,
from 10:30 a.m. to noon. O asis hosts a free inform a­
tional session about M edicare at the Legacy Mt. Hood
M edical C enter Board Room.
■.earning to Live with D iabetes — Thursdays, March
13 and M arch 20, from 1:30to3 p.m.; $10. To register,
call 503-241-3059.
Tools for C aregivers -- Six-w eek educational series
are offered to help family caregivers take care o f
them selves w hile caring for a relative or friend with a
chronic illness. The classes are being held at several
locations and dates. Call 5 0 3 -4 13-6465 for more infor­
mation.
C ancer R esou rce C enter — Providence St. V incent
M edical C e n te r and the A m erican Red C ross have
jo in e d forces to c re a te the first in-hospital resource
cen ter p roviding books, printed m aterial, com puter
access and m ore for indiv id u als and fam ilies deal-
have the Center for Health Research en­
dowed scientist position created and named
form e,” say s Dr. Greenlick. "This represents
the intersection of three things that have
been central to my professional life - the
Center for Health Research, health services
research, and improving the healthcare of
disadvantaged members o f society.”
K aiser Perm anente’s C enter for Health
Research, founded in 1964, is a nonprofit
research institution.
ing w ith cancer. T he cen ter is open M onday through
T h u rsd ay , 9 a.m . to 4 p.m.
Stroke Alert S creen in g- C h e c k your carotid arteries
with a painless ultrasound to assess your risk. Fee $40.
T o schedule a screening, call 503-251 -6137.
P a r e n t in g C la s s e s — N e w b o r n s d o n 't c o m e
w ith in stru c tio n m a n u a ls b u t p a re n ts a n d p are n ts-
to -b e c a n le arn a b o u t a v a rie ty o f to p ic s fro m p ai n
a n d c h ild b irth to b re a s tfe e d in g to in fa n t C P R an d
m u ch m ore. F o r a sch ed u le o f ev en ts, call 5 0 3 -5 7 4 -
6 5 9 5 o r visit: p ro v id e n c e .o rg /c la s s e s .
B erea v em en t S u p p ort (¡r o u p s - Free, safe c o n fi­
d en tial group m eetin g s for those w ho have e x p e ri­
en ced the death o f a loved on e o ffered on various
n ig h ts and locations. F or in fo rm atio n and re g istra ­
tion, call 503-215-4622.
S m o k e-F ree S u p p ort G ro u p - m eets M ondays, 7
to 8 p.m . For m ore in fo rm atio n , call 503-256-4000.
F ree Body B a s ic s --T h is p h y sician -reco m m en d ed
class is ap p ro p riate for all ages and h ealth c o n d i­
tions. Plan to attend this o n e-sessio n class and
learn the sim p le g u id elin es for safe ex e rcise s, in ­
clu d in g stretch in g . C all 5 0 3 -2 5 6 -4 0 0 0 to register.
O steo p o ro sis S creen in g — A n u ltraso u n d bone-
d en sity screen in g w ith p erso n a liz ed ed u catio n ;
fee $30. T o sch ed u le an ap p o in tm en t, call 5 0 3 -2 6 1 -
6611.
M am m ograp h y S creen in g - Early d etectio n is a
key facto r in the p rev en tio n o f b reast can cer. Call
5 0 3 -2 5 1 -6 1 3 7 to sch ed u le y o u r h ig h -tech , soft-
touch m am m ogram .
M an agin g C h ro n ic H ep a titis C — T hird W ed n es­
day o f each m onth at 5 p.m ., the inform ative session
led by a reg istered nurse to help m anage side
effec ts o f m ed icatio n s and d o sag e p rep aratio n s
and ad m in istratio n ; d o cto rs referral required. To
Asthma Focus
Group Recruits
A re you an A frican-A m erican woman, age 18 or
over, with asthm a?
The O regon C enter for A pplied Science is w ork­
ing on a research project designed to teach asthm a
self-management s k ills to African-American women
with asthma.
The center will pay $50 to participate in a 90-
minute focus group discussion in the Portland area.
Call the center at 1-877-366-3119 and ask for the
A sthm a Self-M anagem ent Project. This research
study is funded by the N ational Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute. There are no sales or m ailing lists
involved.
Few Know Heart
Attack Risks
Only about 1 in 4 A m ericans know the w arning
signs of a heart attack, U.S. health officials in Atlanta
say.
M ost are also unaw are that the first thing to do
is call 9-1-1. D octors with the Centers for D isease
Control and Prevention said the level o f public
aw areness is alarm ingly low.
The warning signs include shortness o f breath;
pain in the chest, arm s or shoulder; a feeling o f
weakness; and discom fort in the jaw , neck or back.
Each year more than 900,000 A m ericans suffer a
heart attack.
Advertise with diversity
Mitch Greenlick
in
register, call 503-251 -6 3 13.
M atern ity W ater W ork ou t - H elping new m om s
regain m uscle tone, strength and flex ib ility , all in
the support and freedom o f the w ater. C all 503-256-
4000 for m ore inform ation.
N u trition al S em in ars — New S easons M arket is
p resen tin g a series o f n u tritional sem inars at v ari­
ous store locations along w ith a n u tritional help
lin e .
For
m o re
i n f o r m a ti o n ,
e - m a il
ask th en u tritio n ist@ n ew se aso n sm ark et.c o m .
(©hseruev
Call 503-288-0033
or email:
ads@portlandobserver.com
Compassion. Community. Commitment.
For every Portland police officer,
there is a story...
Reasons to
join us:
• Earn $50,024
after first six
months.
• Lots of
assignments
and
promotional
opportunities.
• Annual clothing
or equipment
allowance.
. Excellent ,
training
programs.
• Education
reimbursement.
O FF IC E R
V
Rosanne M . Sizer, chief of Police
"Black History Month is a time to commemorate the contributions
o f the many African Americans whose talents and hard work
changed our community. Please join in the variety’ o f events
taking place in Portland and celebrate these achievements. "
Join us and write the next chapter.
www.joinportlandpolice.com
Youth Summit
Ith Equity
litiative
RTF
~ Invited Guests ~
Jefferson High School Seniors
’* ^ i
How does poverty, housing or
discrimination affect your health?
Across the country, thousands of people w ill take part in discussion about
the connections between healthy bodies, healthy bank accounts and skin
color.
Please join us for a special screening and discussion of Unnatural Causes,
a PBS documentary which confronts myths and misconceptions about
our health.
Portland Community College
Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building Auditorium
Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
March 8, March 22 and April 12
New Columbia
Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
4625 N. Trenton Street
March 29, April 19, May 3 and May 17
For more information and screening locations,
visit www.mchealth.org/healthequity or call 503-988-3030 Ext. 22068
Keynote Speaker:
Judge Greg Mathis
Principal and Supporter:
Dr. Cynthia Harris
and the Jefferson High School
Faculty and Parents
Hosted By:
Cornerstone Community Services. March 15, 2008, Lloyd Center Double Tree Hotel
Job F air-C areer Opportunities 5 - 6 p.m.
Banquet 6:1? p.m.
C o rn e rsto n e C om m unity Services
2216 NE Killingsworth St.
Portland, Oregon 97211
(503) 281-4587
Donations Accepted
$ 100.00 per person or $ 1 .(MX).OO per table
Help Us Help Somebody!!!