NIDA welcomes Benda L. Curtis, PhD who joined the IRP on January 7th as a new Investigator (Tenure-Track) within the Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics Research Branch (CPTRB). Dr. Curtis will lead a cutting-edge clinical research program as the Principal Investigator of the Technology and Translational Research Unit. Dr. Curtis earned both a bachelor’s degree in… [Read More]
Ventral midbrain astrocytes display unique physiological features and sensitivity to dopamine D2 receptor signaling.
Featured Paper of the Month – December 2018. Astrocytes are ubiquitous CNS cells that support tissue homeostasis through ion buffering, neurotransmitter recycling, and regulation of CNS vasculature. Yet, despite the essential functional roles they fill, very little is known about the physiology of astrocytes in the ventral midbrain, a region that houses dopamine-releasing neurons and… [Read More]
Genetic deletion of vesicular glutamate transporter in dopamine neurons increases vulnerability to MPTP-induced neurotoxicity in mice.
Hot Off the Press – November 29, 2018. The neural mechanisms underlying dopamine neuron degeneration in Parkinson’s disease are largely unknown. In this study, we found that selective deletion of a vesicular glutamate transporter (VgluT2) in dopamine neurons led to a significant increase in dopamine neuron toxicity to the neurotoxin MPTP via a BDNF-dependent mechanism,… [Read More]
Science-Based Actions Can Help Address the Opioid Crisis.
Reviews To Read – November 29, 2018. This commentary on the opioid crisis was written by two NIDA IRP investigators (clinical investigator David Epstein and preclinical investigator Yavin Shaham), along with former Clinical Director Markus Heilig. It challenges misconceptions about the nature of the crisis, and it suggests solutions that are–as the authors say–“probably not… [Read More]
Volitional social interaction prevents drug addiction in rat models.
Hot Off the Press – November 19, 2018. A new study published in Nature Neuroscience finds that social interactions can have a profound effect on behaviors related to addiction, and on the brain’s response to drug-associated cues. These findings have implications for people with substance use disorders (SUDs), because it suggests that social interaction can… [Read More]
Selective Brain Distribution and Distinctive Synaptic Architecture of Dual Glutamatergic-GABAergic Neurons
Featured Paper of the Month – Novermber 2018. Root and Zhang et al. (from Dr. Morales’ lab) identified throughout the brain concentrated populations of glutamate and GABA co-transmitting neurons in ventral tegmental area, entopeduncular, and supramammillary nuclei. Single axon terminals from these neurons form a common synaptic architecture that co-transmit glutamate and GABA from distinct… [Read More]
Cocaine reward is reduced by decreased expression of receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase D (PTPRD) and by a novel PTPRD antagonist.
Hot Off the Press – October 25, 2018. There are currently no effective medications available for the treatment of psychostimulant addiction. Receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase D (PTPRD) is a neuronal cell-adhesion molecule that has been associated with psychostimulant addiction in humans. In this research, we found that PTPRD gene mutation significantly reduced vulnerability to cocaine… [Read More]
Distinct and Dynamic ON and OFF Neural Ensembles in the Prefrontal Cortex Code Social Exploration.
Hot Off the Press – October 10, 2018. Using miniature fluorescence microscopes (miniScope) via an implanted optical microprobe, Liang and Zhang et. al. were able to record the calcium activity from hundreds of nerve cells in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) when the mice freely engaged in social exploration. They track the activity of the same… [Read More]
The novel ghrelin receptor inverse agonist PF-5190457 administered with alcohol: preclinical safety experiments and a phase 1b human laboratory study.
Featured Paper of the Month – October 2018. Understanding the neurobiological substrates of excessive alcohol consumption may substantially facilitate efforts to develop better treatments. The cross-talk between the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, often referred to as the gut–brain axis, is a promising yet underexplored domain in this regard. Ghrelin is a hormone primarily produced… [Read More]
Kenner Rice, Ph.D. wins Chemistry and Pharmacology of Drug Abuse Conference Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Kenner Rice received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 3rd Annual Chemistry and Pharmacology of Drug Abuse Conference, held in Boston on August 2-3, 2018. Pictured from left to right are: Amy Newman, Alex Makriyannis, Kenner Rice and James Bean, Provost and Senior Vice President of Northeastern University where the conference was held. The Chemistry and… [Read More]
