No future withdrawals?
October 31, 2011
DRUG addicts may, in the future,
be able to come off heroin and
other addictive opioids without
withdrawals, thanks to new
research by scientists at the
University of Sydney.
Published in Nature Neuroscience
the research describes a protein
(GABA transporter 1, GAT-1) in
nerve cells that drives the
withdrawal response (including
chills, sweating, cramps, elevated
heart rate and pain sensitivity).
“We have identified a protein in
nerve cells that is driving the
withdrawal response,” said senior
author, Prof MacDonald Christie.
“When we either remove that
protein from the brain or block it
with experimental medications,
then we can block withdrawal
response and the aberrant activity
of the nerves responsible for the
painful withdrawal,” she added.
The GAT-1 protein causes
symptoms due to its excessive
electrical activity in the brain
during the withdrawal phase.
This activity in turn stimulates
nerves to behave aberrantly and
causes withdrawal symptoms.
“These highly excited nerve cells
release more GABA, the
neurotransmitter associated with
the protein GABA transporter, and
this GABA release decreases the
chemical messages sent to other
brain regions,” said study lead
author Dr Elena Bagley.
“The downstream dampening of
signals to key brain regions such as
the hypothalamus produces many
of the withdrawal symptoms”.
The study explains for the first
time why certain medications
currently used to treat withdrawal
symptoms work.
“Now that we now know why
compounds that block the GAT-1
protein work, we hope to be able
to design medications that better
target the activity that causes the
withdrawal symptoms without
targeting the other functions of the
protein,” said Christie.
It is also hoped that the research
will lead to the development of
drugs for use when withdrawing
from other addictive substances
such as nicotine.
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