Source (Futurity)
Currently there is no medical treatment for cocaine addiction, but scientists say a recent discovery about dopamine moves them a step closer.
Dopamine is a signaling molecule in the brain that is involved in our sensation of reward and motivation—and, therefore, addiction. The dopamine transporter functions as a molecular vacuum cleaner removing the released dopamine, controlling its signaling.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have uncovered an interaction, a so-called gate, that controls access for dopamine to its binding site in the protein.
“If we have a better understanding of the dopamine transporter function we will become more proficient in developing an antidote against cocaine addiction,” says Claus Juul Loland, an associate professor from the neuroscience and pharmacology department.
“We found two amino acids in the proteins that dynamically break and form an interaction. The dynamic is therefore crucial for the transport process,” says Loland.
The constellation of the two amino acids is important for the overall structure of the protein.
“The breakage of the interaction could therefore be a signature for the binding of cocaine and cocaine-like drugs,” he ad
Cocaine and Dopamine
Cocaine acts as an inhibitor of the dopamine transporter, but the researchers found other inhibitors that bind to the dopamine transporter with the same strength as cocaine without the same stimulatory response when administered to rats.
