Protein may help beat the booze

Published 10 June, 2008, 15:14

Alcohol abuse is a serious problem in many societies. The addiction is notoriously difficult to beat. And even people who've been through rehab are prone to a relapse. One drink can sometimes be enough to change a reformed alcoholic back into a heavy drinker. But a new study hints that an effective treatment may be on the way.

Researchers at a university in California have revealed that a certain brain protein, called GDNF, can quickly cut the urge to drink.  But so far it's only worked on animals.

Rats with induced addiction to alcohol had GDNF injected into a brain site strongly linked to drug-seeking behaviour.

Ten minutes after the injection rats lost their appetite for spirits, and the effect lasted for at least three hours. The protein had a similar effect in preventing a relapse in alcoholic rats that were deprived of drinking for some time.

What's more important, the injection didn't affect the rats' other pleasure-seeking reactions. GDNF didn't stop them from craving sugar water.

Decreased motivation is often a side-effect of existing treatments for alcoholism.

Now scientists are trying to find an approved drug that stimulates the protein's natural production in the brain.

The research results were published in “The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”

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