The development of more effective drugs for addiction with fewer side effects was explored by researchers at the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute. The study showed in a combination of cell and animal studies that one active compound maintains a strong bias towards a single biological pathway, providing insight into what future drugs could look like.
The compound examined in the study, known as 6'- guanidinonaltrindole (6'-GNTI), targets the kappa opioid receptor (KOR).
Located on nerve cells, KOR plays a role in the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in drug addiction.
Drugs of abuse often cause the brain to release large amounts of dopamine, flooding the brain's reward system and reinforcing the addictive cycle.
"There are a number of drug discovery efforts ongoing for KOR," Laura Bohn, a TSRI associate professor, who led the study, said.
"The ultimate question is how this receptor should be acted upon to achieve the best therapeutic effects. Our study identifies a marker that shows how things normally happen in live neurons-a critically important secondary test to evaluate potential compounds," she said.
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Compounds that activate KOR can decrease the rewarding effects of abused drugs, but also induce sedation and depression.
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The findings are published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Source-ANI