Post-mortem examinations of the monkeys’ brains also confirmed that the treated animals had restored dopamine levels. Dopamine levels remained low in untreated animals.
Donita Robinson, a professor of psychiatry and researcher at the University of North Carolina’s Bowles University Alcohol Research Center, was impressed that the effects lasted for a year. “These findings support the idea that normalizing dopamine, or perhaps just increasing levels of beneficial growth factors like GDNF, could be a useful strategy for reducing drinking urges,” said the experiment. said Robinson, who was not involved in
However, dopamine pathways are widely involved in locomotion and motivation, so this type of therapy may also affect other behaviors. In fact, the study authors found that treated monkeys drank less water and were less interested in sweet solutions than untreated monkeys. They drank about 20 percent of the sweet solution compared to untreated animals who drank all of the sweet solution. They also lost approximately 18 percent body weight compared to control animals, at least in part due to reduced alcohol consumption. Such changes in dopamine-related behavior are not necessarily all desirable or positive. Robinson says further research needs to look at changes in mood, mindset and general activity levels.
A small number of single-dose gene therapies are already approved for certain rare cancers and genetic disorders, such as hemophilia B and spinal muscular atrophy. Other studies include sickle cell anemia and his type 2 diabetes. It is hoped that the effects of each treatment will last for years, even decades.
However, gene therapy to the brain carries risks such as bleeding, infection, and severe immune reactions. possibly cancer. These treatments cost hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars, making them out of reach for those without insurance. And it’s not yet clear if they’re long-lasting. The alcohol abuse study was discontinued after a year, so it’s unclear if the effects are permanent.
The long-term effects of gene therapy are a double-edged sword, says Susan Ferguson, professor of psychiatry and director of the Institute of Addiction, Drugs and Alcohol at the University of Washington. “That’s it. You can give this therapy to someone, but they don’t have to worry about it,” she says. But if it causes side effects, there is no way to inactivate it.
And Ferguson says drugs of any kind should be used alongside therapy and other strategies that address the psychological and behavioral aspects of alcohol abuse.
Other treatments are already on the market, and they can all be stopped if necessary. The drugs acamprosate and naltrexone also act on the brain. A third drug, disulfiram, works by preventing the body from processing alcohol and causing unpleasant reactions to alcohol.
Gene therapy for addiction also raises ethical questions. Unlike other gene therapies, this treatment involves rewiring the brain, possibly influencing a person’s choices and potentially their behavior. If there was no way to stop or stop treatment, would people still choose to get it?
Grant admits it can be an extreme cure. However, some people with alcohol use disorders are very sick and harm themselves and others. If it goes to human trials, she expects treatment to be limited to the most severe addicts. “This is a last resort if all other treatments have failed,” she says.
