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Technology Development Initiative – Paper of the Month – August 2022

An integrated wearable microneedle array for the continuous monitoring of multiple biomarkers in interstitial fluid. Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Tehrani et al, describes the development and implementation of a wearable sensor that contains an array of microneedles for real-time monitoring of lactate and glucose or alcohol and glucose from interstitial fluid. This paper highlights the potential for garnering clinical data from individuals with alcohol abuse disorder, liver disease, and metabolic diseases. [Read More]

Elevation of Extracellular Glutamate by Blockade of Astrocyte Glutamate Transporters Inhibits Cocaine Reinforcement in Rats via a NMDA-GluN2B Receptor Mechanism

Featured Paper of the Month – August 2022
Published in The Journal of Neuroscience by Hong-Ju Yang, Briana J Hempel, and Zheng-Xiong Xi, et al. of the NIDA IRP Addiction Biology Unit.

It is well known that glutamate plays an important role in relapse to drug seeking. However, the role of glutamate in drug reward is unclear. In this report, we found that elevating extracellular glutamate level in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) by TFB-TBOA, a selective astrocyte glutamate transporter inhibitor, dose-dependently inhibits cocaine self-administration and brain-stimulation reward. Mechanistic assays indicate that prolonged cocaine self-administration selectively upregulates NMDA-GluN2B receptor subtype expression in striatal dopaminoceptive neurons…

Preferential Gs protein coupling of the galanin Gal₁ receptor in the µ-opioid-Gal₁ receptor heterotetramer

Hot Off the Press – July 8, 2022 Published in Pharmacological Research by Paulo De Oliveira, Ph.D. and Sergi Ferré, M.D., Ph.D. of the NIDA-IRP Integrative Neurobiology Section. Summary We recently demonstrated that complexes (heteromers) of μ-opioid receptors (MORs) and receptors for the neuropeptide galanin of the Gal1subtype (Gal1Rs) localized in the brainstem (in the… [Read More]

Technology Development Initiative – Paper of the Month – July 2022

Verification of technical characteristics and performance of VeinViewer Flex, ICEN IN-G090-2 and AccuVein AV400 transillumination devices. Clinica Chimica Acta.

The authors describe a transillumination device that uses near infrared light-emitting diodes to visualize superficial veins and project a real-time image of the veins directly on the surface of the skin. This emerging technology has potential applications both clinically and pre-clinically to improve successful venipuncture for blood sampling and injection of therapeutics in challenging patient populations. [Read More]

Searching for a Signal: Self-Reported Kratom Dose-Effect Relationships Among a Sample of US Adults With Regular Kratom Use Histories

Featured Paper of the Month – July 2022
Published in Frontiers in Pharmacology by Kirsten Smith, Ph.D.; Jeffrey Rogers, BS., B.A.; and David Epstein, Ph.D.; et al. of the NIDA IRP Real-world Assessment, Prediction, and Treatment Unit.

Kratom is a plant increasingly used in the US for the psychoactive properties of the more than four dozen alkaloids it contains. Their mechanisms of action are thought to be opioidergic, adenosinergic, serotoninergic, dopaminergic, and adrenergic. Whole-plant-derived kratom products, almost always taken orally, produce dose-dependent stimulatory and analgesic effects. We know of only one published laboratory study on kratom’s effects in humans; however, surveys have increasingly helped show a complex and changing landscape of kratom use. In this online, nationwide study, we asked 129 people with kratom use histories to report on the effects of their kratom products…

Brain lesions disrupting addiction map to a common human brain circuit.

Hot Off the Press – June 15, 2022 Published in Nature Medicine, with contributions by Khaled Moussawi, M.D., Ph.D., Harshwardhan Deshpande, Ph.D., Thomas Ross, Ph.D. and Elliot Stein, Ph.D. of NIDA-IRP. Summary Sometimes regional brain damage (also called a lesion – for example from a stroke) leads to spontaneous remission of addiction – in the… [Read More]

Technology Development Initiative – Paper of the Month – June 2022

Enhancer viruses for combinatorial cell-subclass-specific labeling. Neuron.

Two studies published last year harnessed single-cell chromatin accessibility to define and test cell-type-distinguishing enhancers for generating AAVs to express transgenes in discrete cell populations, and to study expression correspondence between species. These approaches provide researchers with one avenue to access specific cell types in the brain for targeted population studies and gene therapies. [Read More]

Involvement of the ghrelin system in the maintenance and reinstatement of cocaine-motivated behaviors: a role of adrenergic action at peripheral β1 receptors

Featured Paper of the Month – June 2022
Published in Neuropsychopharmacology by Zhi-Bing You, Ph.D. and Eliot Gardner, Ph.D., et al. of the NIDA IRP Neuropsychopharmacology Section.

Cocaine addiction is a significant medical and public concern. Despite decades of research effort, development of anti-addiction, anti-craving, and anti-relapse medications for cocaine addiction remains largely unsuccessful. To aid this medication development, more knowledge is needed about the brain circuits and mechanisms that underlie addiction. In the present article, the authors show that: (1) elevation of the brain hormone ghrelin by cocaine plays a critical role in cocaine-taking and in cocaine-seeking behaviors; (2) acquisition of cocaine-taking behavior is associated with enhancement of the stimulatory effects of cocaine and of cocaine-associated environmental cues on brain ghrelin…

Reversing anterior insular cortex neuronal hypoexcitability attenuates compulsive behavior in adolescent rats

Hot Off the Press – May 27, 2022 Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by Dr. Kshitij Jadhav (2019 Predoctoral trainee at NIDA-IRP), Dr. Benjamin Boutrel (Ph.D. supervisor, University of Lausanne, Switzerland) and Dr. Carl Lupica (Project Supervisor, Electrophysiology Research Section, NIDA-IRP). Summary Adolescents are labelled as high risk-taking impulsive individuals… [Read More]

2022 NIDA IRP Mentoring Awards

Congratulations to our 2022 Mentoring Award winners! They were honored at the 10th NIDA Research Day and Mentoring Awards ceremony on May 18, 2022. From left to right: Brenda Curtis, Ph.D. – Investigator Mentoring Award and Investigator Mentoring Award; Steven Zhang, Ph.D. – Staff Scientist Mentoring Award; and Katherine Savell, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow Mentoring… [Read More]