Fighting drug addiction with this new therapy

When it was tested on rats, the new treatment was effective in reducing animal cravings, according to the results published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

When someone usually abuses drugs, his brain chemistry is changed to make it more difficult for them to stop using drugs despite negative consequences.

Once someone has developed this brain disorder, his mind pays heed to the signals that encourage drug use, making it more difficult to abstain. The researchers found that 2C serotonin receptors in drug users do not work as well as they should.

The team led by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, United States has designed, synthesized and pharmacologically evaluated a series of small therapeutic molecules designed to restore weakened signaling.

The results showed that the new treatment can help reverse the chemical imbalances caused to the brain by the usual use of drugs. Read: Every Drug Addict Must Go to a Rehabilitation Center

In their experiment, the researchers trained rats to press a lever for cocaine injections to certain light signals.

this cocaine search behavior, half of them received the most promising therapeutic treatment and the other half only received a saline

results showed that the animals treated with the new treatment pressed the lever much less for cocaine. animals even when they are reinforced by the light signals associated with cocaine. Read: World Drug Day: Addressing Drug Addiction

"We are the first to show that a 2C serotonin receptor of this type can be used successfully to decrease research behaviors drug, "said Kathryn Cunningham, director of" Our discoveries are particularly exciting because in addition to one day helping people recover from addiction, altered serotonin 2C receptor function is also thought to contribute to other chronic health problems such as depression, impulsivity disorders, obesity and schizophrenia, "added Cunningham

Source: IANS [19659002] Source: Shutterstock

Published: July 2, 2018 9:34 am Last Modified: July 2, 2018 9:59 am