as a lifetime smoker now suffering from COPD and a limited life because of this.I hope this product is available before I croak

Holy Cow! Imagine the same thing but for alcohol and drugs. Then imagine the offender whose sentence is "you will be administered the vaccine that makes you impervious to all addictive substances, for life". You might as well go be a preacher after that.

Sorry Robin Yates. But seeing as this is a vaccine that prevents the brain from acquiring an addiction in the first place, it probably wouldn`t be able to help someone already suffering. Hope they do find something for addicts and addict related illnesses such as COPD

! Miyazaki Wataru - you are mistaken Read the very first sentence - "a vaccine that could help existing smoker’s quit for good ". I too am interested on the same grounds. Have been a smoker for 50 years - fortunately still with fairly clear lungs.
Notwithstanding how the research goes, how is the US and British tobacco lobby going to take it ? Not very kindly I think!

So, it blocks the good feeling you get from the cigs, but doesn't stop the cravings? That seems like a lose-lose situation (or I read the article wrong). Sounds to me like it would stop kids from starting smoking as they don't get that initial good feeling, but doesn't sound like it would help those that currently smoke.

Heh, did people read the article wrong ? If the nicotine cannot reach the brain and cannot create "that addictive rush" then even if your are already addicted it would make it much easier to stop smoking. The only concern is the antibodies last a lifetime and you could never gain the benefits of using nicotine again...I am sure there are some. Smoking is a very bad habit that hurts a lot more than the lungs, it damages the stomach and the heart and other vital organs.

The vaccine causes the immune system to attack and mop up nicotine but without the ability to get nicotine to the brain the cravings diminish after initial withdrawal and while they can reoccur they do so less and less over time. Any time someone gives in to a craving the drug can't get in to the brain to work so the addiction is not reinforced.
There is a benefit to using force of will to stop an addiction since rehab (even consensually adopted) weekends the part of the brain that is needed to inhibit the behavior where as self-denial--even if it fails several times--strengthens that brain region. But in some cases that option isn't viable so if this works as a long-term solution it will be very beneficial. Ideally one would combine cold turkey/willpower with the vaccine by saying that one needs to go without smoking for a couple of weeks and then give them the vaccine to protect against reenforcement given a relapses.
And yes, they are working on similar vaccines for other addictive drugs. It is amazing what you can do when you treat medical conditions using medical research instead of prohibition.

It seems to me that if it stops the nicotine from reaching the brain that a nicotine addict that took this would suffer from withdrawal whether they smoke or not. It would certainly be easier to not give in to the cravings if smoking no longer satisfies those cravings. Short term pain = long term gain.

Unfortunately I foresee the very powerful tobacco lobby making the commercialization of this vaccine very difficult. It's these potentially helpful substances that become the ire of those who can benefit financially from the status quo. I personally would like to see less smoking and am glad many places do not allow it but I know for those that made the unfortunate decision to start this ugly habit that it is VERY difficult or even impossible for some to quit.

If the nicotine is not reaching the receptors in the brain it does not matter how many cigarets you smoke they are not going to stop the withdrawal symptoms and in a few weeks they go away, getting over the habit of sticking a paper tube of smoldering weeds into you mouth will take longer.
However there is no way I'll subject myself or anyone I love to genetic modification to make them immune to nicotine addiction.