New research uncovers what makes cocaine so dangerous

New Delhi: Cocaine, a drug that has long been infamous for multiple overdose deaths, and erratic behaviour — from rock prodigy Tom Petty to Charlie Sheen, once Hollywood’s highest paid sitcom star — has ruined talents and fortunes for long. 

Now scientists have uncovered what exactly is in cocaine that makes it such a dreaded narcotic substance.

A team at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has uncovered how cocaine triggers a specific protein in the brain to hijack normal brain circuitry, promoting further drug-taking behaviour. The discovery, detailed in an article in ‘Nature Communications’, sheds light on the mechanisms behind drug-context associations, which are critical factors in relapse vulnerability.

The study, led by Christopher Cowan, Chairman of the Department of Neuroscience at MUSC, identifies the neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (NPAS4) as a key regulator in forming and maintaining drug-context associations.

“These drug-context associations become future triggers for drug seeking,” explained Cowan, emphasising the importance of understanding how these associations are formed.

The MUSC team focused on a small population of cells within the nucleus accumbens, a brain region known for regulating motivation and reward-associated learning. They discovered that NPAS4-expressing neurons increased in response to cocaine exposure. NPAS4, a transcription factor, regulates how cells respond to neuronal activity induced by various stimuli, including drugs. (IANS)

Also Read: Woman who swallowed 82 cocaine capsules held (sentinelassam.com)

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