Protein May Hold Key to Foiling Cocaine Addiction

A microscopic strand of protein believed to inhibit cocaine cravings in rats may hold the key to treating addiction in humans, according to a study published in Friday’s issue of the journal “Nature.”

In a study funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, researchers gave rats access to cocaine and found that the production of a certain sequence of microRNA known as miR-212 increased as cocaine consumption increased. As miR-212 levels increased, the rats were observed to like the drug less and less. As miR-212 levels subsided, the rats’ cravings for the drug increased.

MicroRNA molecules control the production of certain proteins. In miR-212′s case, the production of a protein called CREB increases as miR-212 levels rise. Past research has shown that the CREB protein inhibits the “high” associated with cocaine consumption, which explains why rats appear to have stronger cocaine cravings when miR-212 levels decrease.

The lead scientist in the study, Paul J. Kenny of Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Fla., said in a press release that the breakthrough could lead to the development of a new series of anti-addiction medicines. There is no pharmaceutical treatment for cocaine addiction like the drugs that are currently prescribed to fight nicotine and alcohol addiction.

Addiction experts noted that observations monitored in rats may not provide a clear solution to the problem of human drug abuse. Monitoring the levels of miR-212 in humans may, however, give physicians and addiction treatment providers clues about who may be more susceptible to cocaine addiction.