Potential method for treating addiction to cocaine discovered

Written by Courtney Johnson

A new study, conducted at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal, Canada, has introduced findings that demonstrate for the first time that microglia may play a significant role in suppressing synaptic changes induced by the chronic use of cocaine. The results, which were published recently in Neuron, are hoped to open up avenues for exploring possible treatments for addiction. Microglia monitor and modify their environment and maintain functioning through the release of molecules that adapt neuronal behavior. A prime example of such a molecule is TNF-α, which microglia release when activated by cocaine. "What...

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