Addiction News and Research

RSS

FDA issues warning letters to companies for selling unapproved products that claim to treat Alzheimer’s

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today posted 12 warning letters and 5 online advisory letters issued to foreign and domestic companies that are illegally selling more than 58 products, many that are sold as dietary supplements, which are unapproved new drugs and/or misbranded drugs that claim to prevent, treat or cure Alzheimer's disease and a number of other serious diseases and health conditions.

12 Feb 2019

Mild ecstasy use linked to greater empathy, PTSD research

MDMA or ecstasy is a popular rave drug used in party circuits to generate euphoria and become more sociable. Researchers from the University of Exeter and University College London have also been studying this recreation drug of abuse for its possible medicinal use in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol de-addiction.

11 Feb 2019

Hormonal cycles may make women more prone to drug addiction, higher relapse rates

Women's hormonal cycles may not only make them more prone to drug addiction but also more affected by triggers that lead to relapse, a new Vanderbilt University study revealed. The findings are especially significant since there are virtually no addiction studies in women that account for these cycles.

11 Feb 2019

Novel protein sensor allows researchers to observe nicotine's movements in cells

When a person takes a puff on a cigarette, nicotine floods into the brain, latching onto receptors on the surface of neurons and producing feelings of happiness. But nicotine does not simply stay on the surface of cells--the drug actually permeates into neural cells and alters them from the inside out.

8 Feb 2019

Changing nature of opioid epidemic could be responsible for increase in overdose deaths

The opioid epidemic in the United States could be responsible for 700,000 overdose deaths between 2016 and 2025, according to a new study published today in JAMA Network Open.

8 Feb 2019

Researchers report promising advance in the search for new class of antidepressants

In experiments with mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report a promising advance in the search for a new class of drugs to treat major depression.

8 Feb 2019

What ‘dope sick’ really feels like

Detoxing off heroin or opioids without medication is sheer hell. I should know. For many users, full-blown withdrawal is often foreshadowed by a yawn, or perhaps a runny nose, a sore back, sensitive skin or a restless leg. For me, the telltale sign that the heroin was wearing off was a slight tingling sensation when I urinated.

8 Feb 2019

MUSC researchers examine the way estrogen affects drug addiction

Male rats have held steady as the focus of most addiction studies in the past. But as the field begins to take female rats into account, scientists see that drugs like methamphetamine affect the sexes differently, suggesting the basis for a change in addiction treatment.

7 Feb 2019

New study points to potential cure for addiction

The Akay Lab biomedical research team at the University of Houston is reporting in the journal Nature Scientific Reports that a possible cure for addiction may be found by following the pathways of significantly altered dopamine neurons in newborns who were chronically exposed to nicotine in utero.

7 Feb 2019

Trump pledges to end HIV transmission by 2030. Doable, but daunting.

Noting that science has "brought a once-distant dream within reach," President Donald Trump on Tuesday night pledged to eliminate HIV transmission within 10 years.

6 Feb 2019

Making the Most of Microdialysis for Neurotransmitter Analysis

Martin Eysberg provides an introduction to the ALEXYS Neurotransmitter Analyzer, an extremely precise UHPLC-EC detector for neurotransmitter analysis.

From Antec Scientific 6 Feb 2019

HEROES awarded two grants to support opioid intervention program in Houston

The Houston Emergency Response Opioid Engagement System was recently awarded two grants that will help fund the opioid intervention program through the end of 2020.

6 Feb 2019

Are Electronic Cigarettes Facilitating Illicit Drug Use?

In this interview, Dr. Michelle Peace provides an introduction to her research into the use of e-cigarettes for the inhalation of illicit drugs.

From Pittcon 5 Feb 2019

The Truth About E-cigarettes: Quit Smoking this World Cancer Day

We asked Dr. Lion Shahab, one of the UK's leading experts on e-cigarettes and smoking, to provide the truth about the safety of vaping and for his advice to people giving up cigarettes this World Cancer Day.

4 Feb 2019

Lawsuit details how the Sackler family allegedly built an Oxycontin fortune

The first nine months of 2013 started off as a banner year for the Sackler family, owners of the pharmaceutical company that produces OxyContin, the addictive opioid pain medication. Purdue Pharma paid the family $400 million from its profits during that time, claims a lawsuit filed by the Massachusetts attorney general.

4 Feb 2019

Opioid overdose epidemic likely to increase in the U.S in coming years

A study from investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Technology Assessment projects that the opioid overdose epidemic in the U.S. is likely to increase in coming years, and that measures based on restricting access to prescription opioids will have a minimal impact in reducing overdose deaths.

3 Feb 2019