Optimal Being

  Doxycycline, a widely used antibiotic, might help reduce the addictive effects of drugs like morphine and cocaine, according to new research published in  Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry . This finding opens up new possibilities for treating substance use disorders, offering hope for more effective interventions. Substance use disorders represent a major public health challenge globally. Characterized by the compulsive use of addictive drugs, these disorders lead to severe behavioral and neural changes, posing significant treatment challenges. Existing treatments are often inadequate, underlining the urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. The researchers embarked on this study to explore the potential of doxycycline, a common antibiotic known for its anti-inflammatory properties, in mitigating the addictive effects of certain drugs. “Our interest in this topic from the complexity and recurrent nature of substance use disorders, which prese...

Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disorder. Multiple neural networks in the brain including the reward system (e.g., the mesocorticolimbic system), the anti-reward/stress system (e.g., the extended amygdala), and the central immune system, are involved in the development of drug addiction and relapse after withdrawal from drugs of abuse. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that it is promising to control drug addiction by pharmacologically targeting the addiction-related systems in the brain. Here we review the pharmacological targets within the dopamine system, glutamate system, trace amine system, anti-reward system, and central immune system, which are of clinical interests. Furthermore, we discuss other potential therapies, e.g., brain stimulation, behavioral treatments, and therapeutic gene modulation, which could be effective to treat drug addiction. We conclude that, although drug addiction is a complex disorder that involves complicated neural mechanis...