Scientists develop potential drug addiction treatment

One of the problems in addiction is that neurons in some parts of the brain lose glutamate receptors from the cell surface, and those receptors are important for communication between neurons. The researchers have sidestepped this problem by crafting a peptide that mimics a portion of the tail of the glutamate receptor and, once inside a neuron, serves as a decoy to prevent the loss of glutamate receptors.

Yu Tian Wang and colleagues at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver reported their findings in the journal Science.

In addicted rats, cell-to-cell communication is compromised as a result of certain long-term changes at the level of individual neurons. This research has produced a targeted drug that tricks brain cells into preventing those changes.

“We think this is a good candidate for a drug against addiction that has very few side effects,” said Mr Wang, a neuroscientist.

Although the initial studies are promising, Mr Wang cautioned that the drug is in the early stages of development and is years away from testing in humans.