Studies have shown that vaccines may be an effective way to blunt\nthe effects of drugs by triggering a patient\u2019s immune system to generate\nantibodies to attack opioids. When\na patient ingests an opioid, these antibodies would prevent molecules of the\ndrug from crossing the blood-brain barrier in the central nervous system,\npreventing the patient from getting high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because\nopioid molecules do not naturally produce an immune response, however, they need\nto be attached to carrier proteins. In the lab, Waltenburg attaches a molecule of an opioid such as oxycodone\nto a carrier protein, in this case a virus-like particle, or VLP, to generate\nantibodies that will allow the body to recognize the opioid and trigger an immune response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf that opioid comes in contact inside the body, the body knows\nto reject it to avoid having any of that blood-brain barrier contact, so the\naddict would never feel that high,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making your own\ndecisions and making a difference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The opportunity to make a difference on a national crisis is\nsignificant for the undergraduate researcher, both academically and\npersonally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I heard about the project that\nDr. Lee was doing, I knew I really wanted to join, not just for the organic\nchemistry part but also because I have people in my life who have struggled\nwith addiction,\u201d Waltenburg said. \u201cBeing part of a project whose goal was to\nhelp these people was very important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She credits Lee\u2019s approach to running a lab with improving her\nskills as a leader and a chemist. Lee, whose research\nfocuses on novel vaccine\ndevelopment using VLPs and self-assembling peptides, encourages students to be responsible\nfor decision-making, not just following a lab manual\u2019s instructions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy mentor has definitely become one of the most influential\npeople that I have met in my three years at NAU,\u201d Waltenburg said. \u201cThis is a\nwhole new setting, and you have to learn from your mistakes. She\u2019s really\ntrying to show me that it\u2019s okay to make mistakes, to try new things. She\u2019s\nalways there. When I\u2019ve messed up, even the little things, she’s like, \u2018It\u2019s\nOK.\u2019 She’s helping me learn from those mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such confidence helps Waltenburg persevere and make a difference\nin the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to know that I could help these people who are\naddicted,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Waltenburg plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in synthetic chemistry, with hopes of continuing with a career in vaccine development for those suffering from substance abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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