New therapy may help fight addiction

A treatment can help reverse the chemical imbalances caused to the brain by drug addiction. (Source: File Photo)

Researchers have developed a treatment that could help reverse the chemical imbalances caused to the brain by habitual drug use that may one day help addicts to avoid future drug use. When it was tested on rats, the new treatment was effective in reducing animal cravings, according to findings published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. When someone usually abuses the drug, his brain chemistry is altered so that it's harder for him to stop using drugs despite negative consequences. Once someone has developed this brain disorder, his mind pays more attention to the signals that encourage drug use, making it more difficult to abstain.

Serotonin, a brain chemical that transmits information between neuronal regions. Researchers have found that 2C serotonin receptors in addicts do not work as well as they should. The team led by researchers from the Medical Department of the University of Texas at Galveston in the United States has designed, synthesized and pharmacologically evaluated a series of small therapeutic molecules designed to restore impaired signaling.

The results showed that the new imbalances caused to the brain by the usual use of drugs. In their experiment, the researchers trained rats to press a lever for cocaine infusions to certain light signals

Once rats learned about this behavior, half of them received therapeutic treatment the most promising. The results showed that the animals treated with the new drug squeezed the cocaine lever much less than the control animals treated with the saline solution, even though they were reinforced by the light signals badociated with the cocaine.

"We Are The First To Show The treatment of serotonin 2C of this type can be used successfully to reduce drug-seeking behaviors," said Kathryn Cunningham, director of the Center for Addiction Research's medical clinic. the University of Texas at Galveston. In addition to one day help people recover from addiction, the impaired functioning of the 2C serotonin receptor would also contribute to other chronic health problems such as depression, blood disorders, and other conditions. impulsivity, obesity and schizophrenia. Lifestyle News, download Indian Express App