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Histamine — commonly associated with allergies — also has a signaling role in the brain’s reward center and may offer a novel target for treating addiction. Read More

Surgical patients are being given more opioids than they need for postsurgical pain management, raising the risk of addiction. Read More

Danny Winder and colleagues are teasing apart the actions of neurotransmitter receptors in a brain region linked to anxiety and addiction, with a goal of finding treatments for substance use disorders. Read More

A newly identified protein interaction that affects cell cycle regulation may be an attractive target for cancer therapy. Read More

A first-of-its-kind mouse model may help reveal mechanistic underpinnings for the altered behaviors of autism spectrum disorder. Read More

Danny Winder and colleagues have demonstrated how norepinephrine and a stress factor call CRF interact, which may lead to new treatments for stress-related disorders. Read More

There’s promise in specific immune system peptides—amino acid compounds that signal cells how to function. In this case, they may be affecting brain activity and, by extension, drug cravings. Read More

The discovery that high levels of bile acids appear to blunt cravings for cocaine could lead to new treatments for addiction. Read More

Using techniques to control and monitor the activities of individual neurons, Vanderbilt investigators are probing the brain’s reward circuitry. Read More

Although drug addiction is classically studied in a neuron-centric way, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that the immune system also plays a critical role. Read More

Stephen W. Patrick, M.D., MPH, MS, has been chosen to receive the Nemours Child Health Services Research Award, recognizing his work surrounding neonatal abstinence syndrome, a drug withdrawal syndrome experienced by infants exposed to opioids while in utero. Read More

Drugs that are being used clinically to treat obesity and diabetes may also have a role in treating drug abuse. Read More

Collybolide – a natural product isolated from a mushroom – is a promising candidate for the development of non-addictive pain medicines. Read More

The p73 gene is required for the generation of cilia – hair-like projections on cells – findings that could have implications for the study of lung diseases and sterility. Read More

Although heteromeric dopamine receptors composed of both D1 and D2 subunits have been proposed to play a role in depression and schizophrenia, recent studies suggest these heteromers do not exist. Read More

Augmenting the signals of natural “endocannabinoids” in the brain may be a promising approach for treating mood and anxiety disorders. Read More

Dynamic measurements of the bacterial leucine transporter shed light on the transporters that play roles in neuropsychiatric and addiction disorders. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that variation in the gene encoding the potassium channel GIRK1 plays a role in modulating human pain perception. Read More

Even relatively low levels of in utero alcohol exposure impact fetal brain development, and the effects last into adulthood, study finds. Read More

A rare genetic change adds support to the idea that altered dopamine signaling is a key risk factor for ADHD. Read More