BY TWEAKING a naturally occurring enzyme, chemists have created a molecule that could flush a cocaine overdose out of the body before it can cause irreparable damage to the central nervous system.
If the enzyme works in humans, it would be the first therapy to remove the drug from a user’s body. Currently, doctors can only relieve the symptoms of a cocaine overdose, by lowering the patient’s temperature and reducing their heart rate.
“When patients go to the emergency room, the doctors really can’t help a lot,” says at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. “The cocaine…
