Drug overdose epidemic has been growing exponentially for decades

Death rates from drug overdoses in the US have been on an exponential growth curve that began at least 15 years before the mid-1990s surge in opioid prescribing, suggesting that overdose death rates may continue along this same historical growth trajectory for years to come. These findings suggest that, to be successful, prevention efforts must extend beyond control of specific drugs to address deeper factors driving the epidemic.

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Gene therapy via skin protects mice from lethal cocaine doses

A new study shows that skin stem cells, modified via CRISPR and transplanted back to donor mice, can protect addicted mice from cocaine-seeking and overdose.

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Cocaine addiction traced to increase in number of orexin neurons

A new study identifies a critical role of the orexin system in the expression of an addicted state in rats.

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Investigators find that bile acids reduce cocaine reward

Bile acids -- gut compounds that aid in the digestion of dietary fats -- reduce the desire for cocaine, according to a new study.

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Racial disparities in prescribing opioids for chronic pain

Researchers have identified racial disparities in the treatment of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain. Black patients who receive opioids long-term are more likely than whites to be tested for illicit drug use. Of those who test positive, blacks are more likely to have their opioid prescriptions discontinued, said the researchers.

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SMURF1 provides targeted approach to preventing cocaine addiction relapse

A class of proteins that has generated significant interest for its potential to treat diseases, has for the first time, been shown to be effective in reducing relapse, or drug-seeking behaviors, in a preclinical study.

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Exercise can help beat cocaine addiction, study finds

Exercise can help prevent relapses into cocaine addiction, according to new research.

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Cocaine relapse is reversed with BDNF microinjections in the brain

Investigators discover that brain-derived neurotropic factor reduced cocaine relapse in a preclinical model when administered before a cue-induced relapse event.

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Bile acids from the gut could help to treat cocaine abuse

Bile acids that aid fat digestion are also found to reduce the rewarding properties of cocaine use, according to a new study.

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Childhood adversity increases susceptibility to addiction via immune response

Childhood adversity permanently alters the peripheral and central immune systems, increasing the sensitivity of the body's immune response to cocaine, reports a new study.

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Hunger hormones offer promising avenue for addiction treatment

Hormones that signal the body's state of hunger and fullness could be the key to new treatments for drug and alcohol addiction. Gut hormones have received considerable attention from scientists seeking to understand overeating and obesity, which led the panelists to discover that those hormones are also involved in addiction.

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A gene required for addictive behavior

Cocaine can have a devastating effect on people. It directly stimulates the brain's reward center, and, more importantly, induces long-term changes to the reward circuitry that are responsible for addictive behaviors. Scientists have now uncovered that a gene called Maged1 plays a crucial role in controlling these pathological changes.

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Newly developed therapeutic shown to combat drug addiction

A new therapeutic may help reverse chemical imbalances made to the brain by habitual drug use and could one day help recovering drug addicts avoid future drug use.

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Potential new treatment for drug addiction relapse revealed

Research reveals a new potential mechanism for combating drug addiction relapse.

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Magnetic stimulation dampens brain response to drug cues in addiction

In a study investigating the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for drug addiction, researchers are the first to demonstrate that the noninvasive brain stimulation technique can dampen brain activity in response to drug cues in chronic alcohol users and chronic cocaine users.

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Revealed: Why drug users prefer heroin at home, but cocaine while out

New research shows that response of brain and emotions to addictive drugs depends on both the setting and the substance of use. The findings could change treatments for drug users to help prevent relapses.

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Chemical sensing chip sniffs out cocaine within minutes

What if you could test for cocaine, opioids and marijuana as quickly as a breathalyzer identifies alcohol? A new, low-cost chemical sensing chip brings us one step closer to this portable tech, which has long been on the wish list of police officers and others looking to monitor drug use and curb dangerous driving.

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A potential new weapon in the addiction battle: FDA-approved diabetes and obesity drugs

Research reveals that FDA-approved drugs to treat diabetes and obesity may reduce cocaine relapse and help people who are addicted break the habit. Such medications work by targeting receptors for glucagon-like peptide 1, a hormone in the brain.

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Non-psychoactive cannabis ingredient could help addicts stay clean

A preclinical study in rats has shown that there might be value in using a non-psychoactive and non-addictive ingredient of the Cannabis sativa plant to reduce the risk of relapse among recovering drug and alcohol addicts. The study's findings inform the ongoing debate about the possible medical benefits of non-psychoactive cannabinoids.

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One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on their fingerprints

Scientists have found that drugs are now so prevalent that 13 percent of those taking part in a test were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingerprints -- despite never using them.

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