Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have identified a new - TopicsExpress



          

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have identified a new pathway in the brain that is created in response to the surge of dopamine that occurs after the drug is taken. This pathway, the researchers say, may help researchers better understand the process of cocaine addiction (cocaine crystals, pictured). The pathway is created by immediate early genes, which help the brain process and respond to new information. Deleting a protein that responds to the neurotransmitter glutamate made mice immune to cocaine addiction. By altering a variety of proteins and conducting detailed measurements of how various molecules fit into their receptors, the researchers found that cocaine alters the normal learning process in the brain. Read more: bit.ly/13rHaVw Journal article: A Prolyl-Isomerase Mediates Dopamine-Dependent Plasticity and Cocaine Motor Sensitization. Cell, 2013. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.07.001 Image credit: Annie Cavanagh, Wellcome Images
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 18:19:44 +0000

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