Molecule in brain may drive cocaine addiction, scientists show
The research, published recently online ahead of print in the journal Biological Psychiatry , shows that blocking hypocretin may reduce compulsive drug-seeking behavior in rat models of cocaine addiction. "Cocaine addiction is a disorder that affects millions of people worldwide," said Marisa Roberto, professor in TSRI's Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders (CNAD) and co-author of the study with Brooke Schmeichel, a former TSRI researcher now at NIDA, George Koob, the CNAD chairman currently on a leave of absence to direct the NIAAA, and Melissa Herman, a senior research associate at TSRI. "Understanding the mechanisms underlying cocaine addiction is important for identifying potential new targets for therapeutic use." "The results of this study would suggest that the hypocretin system could be considered a pharmacological target, with the hopes that such a medication could be used in combination with cognitive b ehavioral therapies