Cocaine addiction

Why cocaine addiction is hard to quit?

In a recent study the scientists tried to answer this question. They looked at the way in which cocaine actually works.

In normal condition after a pleasure moment (e.g taking food), an enzyme is produced by gene 9A. This enzyme then shuts off the other genes in pleasure circuit and person feels satisfied.

However chronic cocaine addiction prevents this enzyme from doing this job. Hence the genes in pleasure circuit remains on and thus the addict craves for more and more of cocaine.

In mice studies researchers could stop cravings simply by increasing the activity of gene 9A.
It could lead to some drug devlopment for easy quitting of addictions.

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