Addiction News and Research

RSS

Dopamine and Serotonin Act as Opposing Forces in Learning and Reward

If you've heard of two of the brain's chemical neurotransmitters, it's probably dopamine and serotonin. Never mind that glutamate and GABA do most of the work -; it's the thrill of dopamine as the "pleasure chemical" and serotonin as tender mood-stabilizer that attract all the headlines.

26 Nov 2024

New Cold-Sensing Protein Discovery Could Revolutionize Pain Management

The only available treatments for millions of people with chronic pain worldwide frequently involve the use of opioids, which pose the risk of addiction and overdose.

24 Jun 2024

UCI Researchers Receive $1.19 Million Grant to Unravel the Genetic Basis of Nicotine Addiction

A three-year, $1.19 million grant from the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program will allow University of California, Irvine researchers to explore how specific sections of DNA might influence nicotine addiction.

26 Apr 2024

What Makes Certain Mushrooms 'Magic'?

In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, an international research team from various Universities including Hans Knöll Institute investigated the biosynthesis of psilocybin, the primary component of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

17 Apr 2024

Promising Compound Shows Potential in Reducing Alcohol Consumption

Scripps Research scientists have found that LY2444296-;a compound that selectively blocks the kappa opioid receptor (KOP)-;may reduce drinking in cases of alcohol dependence in animal studies.

30 Mar 2024

Federal Regulation Urged for Direct-to-Consumer Microbiome Tests

Scientific research has linked a person's microbiome to everything from gut and mental health to immunity and predisposition to cancer.

25 Mar 2024

Intermittent Energy Restriction Diet Alters Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis

Worldwide, more than one billion people are obese. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

21 Dec 2023

New Findings Suggest Endosymbiotic Origin of Apoptosis

Apoptosis, frequently described as programmed cell death, is a fundamental mechanism essential for the growth and development of multicellular organisms.

13 Oct 2023

Fruit Flies Show How Brain Reward-Based Decisions Work

Fitzgerald’s brother-in-law, like many L.P. record collectors, has a go-to store where he routinely finds the greatest vinyl for his collection.

25 Sep 2023

New Mechanism to Maintain Astrocyte-Neuron Communication

Neurons and astrocytes are the two types of cells required by the brain to enjoy the scent of morning coffee and freshly baked cookies or to discern the warning smell of something burning.

16 Jun 2023

Risk-Taking Behavior Increases After Unexpected Wins in Both Humans and Monkeys

How do humans make decisions when the outcomes are uncertain? One possible way would be to calculate the expected value of each option by multiplying each possible outcome amount by its probability and then choosing the option with the highest expected value.

29 May 2023

Understanding the Functioning of Opioid Receptors at Unprecedented Spatial Resolution

The human body naturally produces opioid-like substances, such as endorphins, which block the perception of pain and increase the feeling of well-being.

20 Apr 2023

Learning how the brain makes choices could help better understand neurological disorders

New research published by investigators at Cedars-Sinai advances scientific understanding of how the brain weighs decisions involving what people like or value, such as choosing which book to read, which restaurant to pick for lunch-;or even, which slot machine to play in a casino.

24 Mar 2023

Genetic signature might be shared across multiple substance use disorders, new study reveals

A new study has revealed a common genetic signature that seems to underlie multiple substance use disorders.

22 Mar 2023

Study provides new insight into the brain circuits involved in opioid addiction

The ongoing opioid epidemic continues to take a heavy toll on American communities, with more than 80,000 opioid-related deaths reported in 2021, according to the National Institutes of Health.

23 Feb 2023

Research reveals gene expression changes in two brain regions of individuals with cocaine use disorder

Individuals with cocaine use disorder exhibit gene expression changes in two brain regions: the nucleus accumbens, a region associated with reward, and the caudate nucleus, a region mediating habit formation, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published February 10 in Science Advances.

13 Feb 2023

Innovative cancer therapy options with new cell death mechanism

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have described a previously unrecognized type of cell death called disulfidptosis in a study that was published in Nature Cell Biology.

7 Feb 2023

Yeast platform for the production of plant-derived anti-cancer drug

The supply of a plant-derived anti-cancer drug can finally meet global demand after a team of scientists from Denmark and the U.S. engineered yeast to produce the precursor molecules, which could previously only be obtained in trace concentrations in the native plant.

1 Sep 2022

Research outlines how stem cells become sensory interneurons

In a first-of-its-kind blueprint, scientists have shown how stem cells mature into sensory interneurons, which are responsible for feelings including touch, pain, and itching.

22 Jul 2022

Research reveals that pain-blocking neurotransmitters offer long-term relief in mice

An international team of researchers found that a gene therapy that prevents targeted nerve cell signaling substantially lower neuropathic pain with no detectable side effects.

From UC San Diego 12 May 2022