{"id":4782,"date":"2015-06-19T08:27:47","date_gmt":"2015-06-19T08:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/revoscience.com\/en\/?p=4782"},"modified":"2015-06-19T08:28:59","modified_gmt":"2015-06-19T08:28:59","slug":"brain-receptor-found-to-significantly-affect-cocaine-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/brain-receptor-found-to-significantly-affect-cocaine-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Brain Receptor Found to Significantly Affect Cocaine Addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_4783\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4783\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4783 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Researchers at the University at Buffalo have discovered a previously unknown neural pathway that can regulate changes made in the brain due to cocaine use, providing new insight into the molecular basis of cocaine addiction.   \u201cAddiction is a life-long affliction manifested by episodes of relapse, despite prolonged abstinence,\u201d said Amy Gancarz, PhD, lead author of the study, which was published on June 1 in an Advance Online Publication in Nature Neuroscience. \u201cThere is a need to more fully understand the long-term molecular changes in the brain involved in drug craving and relapse.\u201d Gancarz, a former postdoctoral associate with the UB Research Institute on Addictions (RIA), worked on the study under the direction of senior author David Dietz, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in UB\u2019s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dietz is also a faculty member in UB\u2019s Neuroscience Program and an affiliated scientist with RIA. The study found that by manipulating the activity of Activin receptors \u2014 receptors found in the brain \u2014 the researchers were able to increase or decrease cocaine-taking and relapse behavior in animal models. The study focused, specifically, on Activin receptors in regions of the brain that are involved in pleasure and reward. \u201cThere are changes in the brain caused by drug use that occur and persist, but are only unmasked after withdrawal from a drug \u2014 in this case, cocaine,\u201d Dietz said. \u201cCocaine use alters the connections between certain neurons through changes in the shape of the cells.\u201d The researchers discovered that the Activin pathway controls the ability of cocaine to induce this change in the neurons and determined that the Activin receptor may control this response to cocaine by regulating the expression of a number of genes. \u201cUnderstanding this critical pathway will help us pursue new directions in potential pharmacological and gene therapies to prevent drug relapses,\u201d Dietz said. \u201cIf we can control this pathway, we may be able to help prevent relapses in people who have been abstinent from cocaine.\u201d Source: University of Buffalo\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg 447w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4783\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: University of Buffalo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Researchers at the University at Buffalo have discovered a previously unknown neural pathway that can regulate changes made in the brain due to cocaine use, providing new insight into the molecular basis of cocaine addiction. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cAddiction is a life-long affliction manifested by episodes of relapse, despite prolonged abstinence,\u201d said Amy Gancarz, PhD, lead author of the study, which was published on June 1 in an Advance Online Publication in Nature Neuroscience. \u201cThere is a need to more fully understand the long-term molecular changes in the brain involved in drug craving and relapse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Gancarz, a former postdoctoral associate with the UB Research Institute on Addictions (RIA), worked on the study under the direction of senior author David Dietz, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in UB\u2019s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dietz is also a faculty member in UB\u2019s Neuroscience Program and an affiliated scientist with RIA.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The study found that by manipulating the activity of Activin receptors \u2014 receptors found in the brain \u2014 the researchers were able to increase or decrease cocaine-taking and relapse behavior in animal models. The study focused, specifically, on Activin receptors in regions of the brain that are involved in pleasure and reward.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cThere are changes in the brain caused by drug use that occur and persist, but are only unmasked after withdrawal from a drug \u2014 in this case, cocaine,\u201d Dietz said. \u201cCocaine use alters the connections between certain neurons through changes in the shape of the cells.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The researchers discovered that the Activin pathway controls the ability of cocaine to induce this change in the neurons and determined that the Activin receptor may control this response to cocaine by regulating the expression of a number of genes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cUnderstanding this critical pathway will help us pursue new directions in potential pharmacological and gene therapies to prevent drug relapses,\u201d Dietz said. \u201cIf we can control this pathway, we may be able to help prevent relapses in people who have been abstinent from cocaine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source:\u00a0<a style=\"color: #bf3b41;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.buffalo.edu\/news\/releases\/2015\/06\/030.html?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">University of Buffalo<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Researchers at the University at Buffalo have discovered a previously unknown neural pathway that can regulate changes made in the brain due to cocaine use, providing new insight into the molecular basis of cocaine addiction. \u00a0 \u201cAddiction is a life-long affliction manifested by episodes of relapse, despite prolonged abstinence,\u201d said Amy Gancarz, PhD, lead author [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine-300x224.jpg",300,224,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"ultp_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"ultp_layout_square":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"newspaper-x-single-post":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"newspaper-x-recent-post-big":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"newspaper-x-recent-post-list-image":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",87,65,false],"web-stories-poster-portrait":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",447,335,false],"web-stories-publisher-logo":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",96,72,false],"web-stories-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/ddd1506_UB_cocaine.jpg",150,112,false]},"author_info":{"info":["Amrita Tuladhar"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/category\/news\/research\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Research<\/a>","tag_info":"Research","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}