Biological Psython: A new mechanism for treating drug addiction

Oct 18, 2020 // --- Cocaine and other substances of abuse are highly addictive, in part because of cellular interactions that produce strong cellular memory in the brain, which promotes compulsive behavior.
researchers are trying to understand the formation of these memories, hoping to find ways to destroy them as potential treatments for substance abuse disorders (SUDs).
new study suggests that cocaine use in mice can lead to accidental formation of synapses in astrogenic glial cells.
the study was published in the journal Biological Psython.
(Photo source: www.pixabay.com) glial cells are a variety of brain-supporting cells, including astrological glial cells, that were once thought to be "glues" that keep neurons together and do not play an important role in cognition or memory.
in the study, Yan Dong, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, said: "We have shown that astrological glial cells respond to the cocaine experience by promoting the formation of new synapses.
like many cells in the brain, these drug-induced synactal connections are not conscious memories, but reconstructed parts of the brain, in which case they can lead to addiction.
" drug abuse-related memories can be very long-lasting and can trigger drug relapse even after long periods of abstinence.
the study, John Krystal, editor of the magazine, said of the study: "We often see cocaine reactions as purely neurological.
, however, here we see star-shaped glial cells playing a key role in the long-lasting effects of repeated exposure to cocaine.
to study the formation of synapses, the researchers bred genetically modified mice in which they could observe calcium signals produced by star-shaped glial cells used to communicate with other cells.
focus on the volt nuclei, areas deep in the brain associated with reward, learning and addiction.
data show that cocaine-induced synapses require astrogenic glial cell signaling.
, the team conducted behavioral experiments in which rats took cocaine on their own.
when the researchers prevented synapses from forming, the rats did not appear to look for cocaine like the control group rats when they withdrew the drug.
: "As a result, these new synapses may form unique neuron substrates involved in cocaine-related memory.
our results provide a new goal: glial-mediated synhap signal transductivity.
.com Source: Researchers identify a potential therapeutic target for drug addiction Original source: Junshi Wang et al, Cocaine Triggers Astrocyte-Mediated Synaptogenesis, Biological psychy (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.08.012