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3D structures of nicotine receptor could lead to new ways for treating addiction

UT Southwestern researchers today published in Nature atomic-scale blueprints of the most abundant class of brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. A structural understanding of the protein, found in neurons, could lead to new ways to treat nicotine addiction from smoking and vaping.

3 May 2018

Math provides new insights into how living cells 'think'

How does the 'brain' of a living cell work, allowing an organism to function and thrive in changing and unfavorable environments?

3 May 2018

Tanning addiction afflicts teenage minorities in Los Angeles

Tanning addiction plagues teenage minorities in Los Angeles, and that dependency is associated with marijuana abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental health issues, a Keck School of Medicine of USC study reports.

2 May 2018

BIO issues statement regarding Opioid Addiction Action Plan Act

BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement regarding the Opioid Addiction Action Plan Act, introduced yesterday in the Senate by Senators Heller (R-NV), Isakson (R-GA), and Menendez (D-NJ).

28 Apr 2018

University of Pennsylvania expert investigates novel treatment for cocaine addiction

Cocaine and other drugs of abuse hijack the natural reward circuits in the brain. In part, that's why it's so hard to quit using these substances.

28 Apr 2018

Scripps researchers awarded two grants to support studies on cocaine, oxycodone addiction

Last year, more than 60,000 Americans died of an opioid overdose, and millions more struggled with opioid and cocaine addiction.

27 Apr 2018

Maternal binge drinking may make offspring more vulnerable to mood problems and alcohol abuse

Binge drinking by pregnant and lactating mothers can impair the mental health of their offspring, reports a study published today in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

25 Apr 2018

Special recovery program for thoracic surgery patients decreases healthcare costs and opioid use

A special recovery program for thoracic surgery patients developed and implemented at the University of Virginia Health System is getting patients home sooner while decreasing both healthcare costs and opioid use, a review of the first year of the program shows.

24 Apr 2018

MGH researchers identify risk factors for drug overdose in youth with substance use disorders

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has identified factors that may increase the risk of drug overdose in adolescents and young adults. In their report published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the researchers describe finding that more than a quarter of those seeking treatment at Addiction Recovery Management Service, an MGH-based outpatient substance-use-disorder treatment program for youth ages 14 to 26, had a history of at least one overdose.

24 Apr 2018

New compound could offer pain-relieving properties without risk of addiction

Researchers at the University of Michigan have engineered a new compound that animal tests suggest could offer the pain-relieving properties of opioids such as morphine and oxycodone without the risk of addiction.

24 Apr 2018

Studies show hemp's potential for treating ovarian cancer

Results from some of the first studies to examine hemp's ability to fight cancer show that it might one day be useful as plant-based treatment for ovarian cancer. Hemp is part of the same cannabis family as marijuana but doesn't have any psychoactive properties or cause addiction.

24 Apr 2018

Studies offer leads for new approaches to treat neurological problems

Technological advances have ushered in a new era of discovery in neuroscience. The Experimental Biology 2018 meeting will feature an array of research findings on the brain and nervous system.

23 Apr 2018

Male fruit flies like sex and alcohol

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel have found that male fruit flies (Drosophilia melanogaster) enjoy ejaculation and sex and are also keen on alcohol consumption. The results of this novel study that shows that sexual gratification is preserved across species was published in the latest issue of the journal Current Biology this week.

19 Apr 2018

People who use medical marijuana have higher rates of prescription drug use, study finds

Can medical marijuana help to fight the opioid epidemic? Many believe that it can. But a new study finds that people who use medical marijuana actually have higher rates of medical and non-medical prescription drug use--including pain relievers.

18 Apr 2018

New automated text messaging service may help combat opioid epidemic

A new automated text messaging service may curb opioid abuse and reduce the likelihood of relapse while also decreasing treatment costs, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Epharmix, a St. Louis-based digital health company.

17 Apr 2018

Targeting opioid receptor offers relief for chronic itching

A common side effect of opioids is intense itching -- a problem for some patients who need the drugs for pain relief and for others fighting addiction.

17 Apr 2018

Post-surgical opioids can prolong pain for more than three weeks, study shows

Giving opioids to animals to quell pain after surgery prolongs pain for more than three weeks and primes specialized immune cells in the spinal cord to be more reactive to pain, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder.

16 Apr 2018

The memory area of the brain may also yield vital clues about mental health illnesses

The hippocampus is an area of the brain commonly linked with memory and dementia. But new U of T Scarborough research finds that it may also yield important clues about a range of mental health illnesses including addiction, anxiety and depression.

16 Apr 2018

Scientists developing new vaccines against heroin and prescription opioids

Heroin and prescription opioid abuse and fatal overdoses are a public health emergency in the United States. Vaccines offer a potential new strategy to treat opioid abuse and prevent fatal opioid overdoses.

12 Apr 2018

Smartphone addiction leads to high levels of loneliness, depression and anxiety

Smartphones are an integral part of most people's lives, allowing us to stay connected and in-the-know at all times. The downside of that convenience is that many of us are also addicted to the constant pings, chimes, vibrations and other alerts from our devices, unable to ignore new emails, texts and images.

11 Apr 2018

Addiction News and Research

3D structures of nicotine receptor could lead to new ways for treating addiction

Math provides new insights into how living cells 'think'

Tanning addiction afflicts teenage minorities in Los Angeles

BIO issues statement regarding Opioid Addiction Action Plan Act

University of Pennsylvania expert investigates novel treatment for cocaine addiction

Scripps researchers awarded two grants to support studies on cocaine, oxycodone addiction

Maternal binge drinking may make offspring more vulnerable to mood problems and alcohol abuse

Special recovery program for thoracic surgery patients decreases healthcare costs and opioid use

MGH researchers identify risk factors for drug overdose in youth with substance use disorders

New compound could offer pain-relieving properties without risk of addiction

Studies show hemp's potential for treating ovarian cancer

Studies offer leads for new approaches to treat neurological problems

Male fruit flies like sex and alcohol

People who use medical marijuana have higher rates of prescription drug use, study finds

New automated text messaging service may help combat opioid epidemic

Targeting opioid receptor offers relief for chronic itching

Post-surgical opioids can prolong pain for more than three weeks, study shows

The memory area of the brain may also yield vital clues about mental health illnesses

Scientists developing new vaccines against heroin and prescription opioids

Smartphone addiction leads to high levels of loneliness, depression and anxiety

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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