A new therapeutic may help reverse chemical imbalances made to the brain by habitual drug use and could one day help recovering drug addicts avoid future drug use.
Researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston developed and tested a treatment on rats and found it effective in reducing the animals’ cravings. Their findings are in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
When someone habitually misuses drugs, their brain chemistry is changed in ways that make it harder for them to quit taking drugs despite negative consequences. Once someone has developed this brain disorder, their mind pays sharper attention to cues that encourage drug use, making it harder for them to abstain.
Serotonin, a brain chemical that transmits information between neural regions, is a key player in these changes. There are currently no medications available to correct this chemical imbalance.
UTMB pharmacology and toxicology professors Jia Zhou, Kathryn Cunningham and their colleagues found that the serotonin 2C receptors in drug addicts do not work as well as they should. They designed, synthesized and pharmacologically evaluated a series of small molecule therapeutics designed to restore the weakened signaling.
The researchers trained rats to press on a lever for cocaine infusions at certain light cues. Once the rats learned this cocaine-seeking behavior, half of them received the most promising therapeutic and the other half received only saline.
The animals treated with the new therapeutic pressed the lever for cocaine far fewer times than the saline-treated control animals, even when reinforced with the cocaine-associated light cues.
“We are the first to show that a serotonin 2C receptor therapeutic of this type can be successfully used to decrease drug-seeking behaviors,” said Cunningham, the director of UTMB’s Center for Addiction Research. “Our findings are especially exciting because in addition to someday helping people to recover from drug addiction, impaired functioning of the serotonin 2C receptor is also thought to contribute to other chronic health issues such as depression, impulsivity disorders, obesity and schizophrenia.”
“We will continue to optimize the chemical structure and effectiveness of our new therapeutic and conduct safety testing in cellular and animal studies,” said Zhou. “We look forward to the future when we can begin clinical trials so that this therapeutic can begin to help people free themselves from drug addiction and other health issues.”
Learn more: Newly developed therapeutic shown to combat drug addiction
The Latest on: Drug addiction
[google_news title=”” keyword=”drug addiction” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Drug addiction
- Drug Take Back Day events held across Michianaon April 27, 2024 at 3:23 pm
It’s part of a national effort with the DEA to prevent medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.
- The people of Logan County distrust politicians. But they still hope lawmakers will solve the addiction and homelessness problems.on April 27, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Some people in Logan County say they are often distrustful of politicians. They feel like their votes mean nothing. It’s easy to understand why they feel that way.
- Study finds big jump in addiction treatment at community health clinicson April 27, 2024 at 5:20 am
The number of health care professionals able to write a prescription for a key medication to treat addiction quadrupled at community health clinics from 2016 to 2021, according to a new study by ...
- ‘The crisis of our generation’: D.A. promotes National Prescription Drug Take Back Dayon April 26, 2024 at 8:59 pm
District Attorney Michael E. McMahon hosted an event promoting National Prescription Drug Take Back Day at Super Health Pharmacy in Pleasant Plains on Friday, April 26, 2024. (Staten Island Advance / ...
- Addiction being associated with suicide attemptson April 26, 2024 at 5:04 pm
A medically reviewed article shows suicide as a top cause of death in America and unfortunately, a problem we’ve seen locally. If you drink alcohol or use drugs, the statistics are even worse. Most ...
- Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse hosts annual West Coast Humanitarian Awardson April 26, 2024 at 4:51 pm
Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse held its 2024 West Coast Humanitarian Awards. The event, held at Wally's Desert Turtle, honors community leaders fighting against the misuse of opioids and ...
- Column: Stories, and the faces behind them, matter in battle against opioid abuseon April 26, 2024 at 1:28 pm
The Kane County Health Department’s newly-launched “Your Story Matters” campaign encourages people impacted by opioids to share their experiences as a way of providing education and resources but ...
- A ‘transformational’ way to treat drug addiction gains momentum at Mass. hospitalson April 26, 2024 at 5:17 am
Embedding teams of addiction specialists within hospitals can reduce the severity of substance use, increase participation in treatment, and dramatically reduce hospital readmissions — all of which ...
- Faith-based center offers help for drug addiction in Laredoon April 26, 2024 at 1:19 am
With drug addiction on the rise in Laredo and Webb County, friends and family members may find themselves seeking options to assist their loved ones battling substance abuse.
via Bing News