Scientists develop new drug against cocaine addiction

June 2, 2020  23:37

Duke University scientists have developed a new drug against cocaine addiction. It is not only effective but also has no serious side effects.

According to TASS, the new tool has already been successfully tested on rodents.

Dopamine accumulates in the nervous tissue when taking cocaine, which leads to addiction. This process can be suppressed with drugs that bind to the NTSR1 receptor on the surface of certain types of brain cells.

However, the problem is that blocking these receptors leads not only to the elimination of addiction but to memory loss and life-threatening issues.

Recent studies have shown that receptors are linked to beta-arrestin-2 - a protein whose molecules lower the sensitivity of neurons to dopamine and other signaling molecules. Drug dependence develops amid the violations in the work of this protein.

Scientists have found the SBI-553 molecule, which simultaneously combines with NTSR1 and enhances the production of beta-arrestin-2. This provides the opportunity to overcome addiction without side effects.

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