The Florida campus of the Scripps Research Institute has been given a $2.2 million dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop new ways to treat the disease of addiction. This will be a joint effort with scientists at the University of Kansas.
In 2009, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, it is estimated that 21.8 million people over the age of 12 had used illicit drugs within the past 30 days. Illicit drugs include cocaine, heroin, marijuana, hallucinogens, inhalants and the non-medical use of prescription drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, using more than one drug is common among many substance abusers.
"All addictive drugs share certain reinforcing properties that make it difficult to quit and remain abstinent," said Scripps Research Associate Professor Laura Bohn. "There is significant evidence spanning decades that the kappa opioid receptor is a good candidate in terms of disrupting this addictive cycle. Right now we’re in the early stages of research and development, but we have a lot of confidence in what we’ve studied so far."
The kappa opioid receptor is related to the release of dopamine in the brain. Drug use releases large quantities of dopamine in the brain, feeding the reward system in the brain and continuing the destructive cycle of addictive behavior.
The researchers have high hopes that the research grant money will allow them to further the development of effective treatments for drug addiction. Together with the money allocated to the University of Kansas, the researchers will have approximately $4 million dollars to further the research.
