The method is not intended for everyone.
Researchers see it primarily as a potential aid for people with opioid addiction or those at high risk of opioid exposure.
At the same time, the treatment is designed to target only the specific opioid it was developed against. This means that other types of pain medication could still be used, writes SciTechDaily.
According to Virginia Tech, initial results published in the Journal of Controlled Release suggest that the effects could last for several months.
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In the longer term, the researchers hope to extend this period to around a year.
Tested on mice
The researchers have developed extremely small, biodegradable particles.
They are similar in size and shape to viruses and are coated with molecules from opioids such as oxycodone or fentanyl.
In experiments on mice, a new type of nanoparticle produced a stronger immune response and provided better protection against oxycodone.
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The researchers also improved a method targeting fentanyl by adding a substance that helps activate the immune system.
Designed to block the high
What makes the method distinctive is that it is a vaccine. It is designed to teach the immune system to recognize a specific opioid and produce antibodies against it.
The antibodies are intended to stop the drug before it reaches the brain. This could limit the high that the opioid would normally produce.
The vaccine does not prevent people from taking opioids. Instead, researchers hope it could reduce the desire for repeated use and lower the risk of overdose.
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It is intended as a potential supplement to other treatments for opioid addiction.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.