Dopamine News and Research

Latest Dopamine News and Research

An overview of Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders

Schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders are a chronic and often disabling condition. Despite modern treatment techniques they still present an enormous burden to the patients and their relatives and take a serious toll in terms of human suffering and societal expenditure.

30 Aug 2010

Disulfiram drug effective in treating cocaine addiction: Research

Doctors have used the drug disulfiram to help patients stay sober for several decades. It interferes with the body's ability to metabolize alcohol, giving a fierce hangover to someone who consumes even a small amount of alcohol.More recently, disulfiram was shown to be effective in treating cocaine addiction as well, even though alcohol and cocaine affect the nervous system in different ways.

27 Aug 2010

Nabi receives US patent for treatment and prevention of nicotine addiction with NicVAX conjugate vaccines

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals announced the receipt of a patent for treating and preventing nicotine addiction with NicVAX® and related nicotine conjugate vaccines. The United States Patent and Trademark office issued U.S. Patent No. 7,776,620 entitled "Hapten-carrier conjugates for treating and preventing nicotine addiction" for the exclusive use of methods for treating and preventing nicotine addiction with NicVAX and related nicotine vaccines. This patent runs through December 2018.

26 Aug 2010

Researchers find medication for diabetes, smoking cessation

The script for two research teams inducted today into the American Chemical Society (ACS) scientific "hall of fame" the ACS Heroes of Chemistry is a tale of two pills. One team invented a medication that helps people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels. The second team invented a medicine that helps people stop smoking, an addiction that experts regard as today's single greatest preventable cause of death worldwide.

23 Aug 2010

Human induced pluripotent stem cells help to treat Parkinson’s disease: Research

Researchers at the Buck Institute for Age Research have successfully used human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to treat rodents afflicted with Parkinson's Disease (PD). The research, which validates a scalable protocol that the same group had previously developed, can be used to manufacture the type of neurons needed to treat the disease and paves the way for the use of iPSC's in various biomedical applications. Results of the research, from the laboratory of Buck faculty Xianmin Zeng, Ph.D., are published August 16, 2010 in the on-line edition of the journal Stem Cells.

17 Aug 2010

Ill effects of methamphetamine

On the street it's known as meth, speed, ice, chalk, crank, fire, glass or crystal. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that wreaks havoc on the entire body, including the user's oral health. Approximately 10 million Americans have tried methamphetamine, while more than 1.4 million are habitual users.

17 Aug 2010

Parkinson’s disease linked to genetic alteration of immune system: Study

Parkinson’s disease (PD), a severely crippling disease of the nerves and brain has been linked to genes that affect the immune system according to new research. In these patients the immune system may go awry attacking healthy tissues or failing to fight infections that leave people susceptible to the condition scientists say.

16 Aug 2010

Neurologix second-quarter net loss increases to $4.5 million

Neurologix, Inc., a biotechnology company developing innovative gene therapies for the brain and central nervous system, today reported its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

13 Aug 2010

Scientists identify chemical system effective in cocaine-addiction cure

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a chemical system in the brain that reacts differently in cocaine addicts, findings that could result in new treatment options for individuals addicted to the drug."We found that the amount of blood flow in areas of the brain known to be involved in the rewarding effects of cocaine and craving was different in cocaine addicts, compared with healthy subjects," said Dr. Bryon Adinoff, professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern and lead author of a study that appeared in Neuropsychopharmacology. "Now we have a new target for pharmacologic intervention."

11 Aug 2010

Transcept Pharmaceuticals second-quarter net loss decreases to $2.06 million

Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary products that address important therapeutic needs in the field of neuroscience, today announced financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

10 Aug 2010

Scientists work towards creating a vaccine for Parkinson's disease

Nina Brown, 68, and millions of others with a debilitating neurological condition called Parkinson's disease are counting on researchers for a cure. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), protein chemists are working to develop a therapeutic vaccine.

10 Aug 2010

TEMPO study recommends early administration of Azilect in PD patients

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) today announced newly published long-term data on Azilect(rasagiline tablets) from the TEMPO study and its open-label extension. The findings confirm the long-term efficacy, safety and tolerability of Azilect® in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and further demonstrate the benefits obtained with early treatment initiation. The data was published in the June 2010 issue of the International Journal of Neuroscience.

6 Aug 2010

University of Pennsylvania announces recipients of 2010 Templeton Positive Neuroscience Awards

The Positive Psychology Center of the University of Pennsylvania and the John Templeton Foundation have announced the recipients of the 2010 Templeton Positive Neuroscience Awards, $2.9 million given to 15 new research projects at the intersection of neuroscience and positive psychology.

5 Aug 2010

Research examines effects of orthostatic hypotension in adults, children

A simple variation to the tried and true method of checking blood pressure can reveal startling information about both older and younger persons, new research suggests.

4 Aug 2010

FSU biologist-mathematician team receives $2.64 million grant to study prolactin secretion

A Florida State University biologist and mathematician have joined forces to find out exactly how the brain oversees the secretion of the hormone prolactin from the pituitary gland, research that could lead to new ways to treat hundreds of disorders, including infertility.

4 Aug 2010

Placebo response in Parkinson's disease treatment varies with patient expectations

Individuals with Parkinson's disease were more likely to have a neurochemical response to a placebo medication if they were told they had higher odds of receiving an active drug, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

3 Aug 2010

Intra-Cellular Therapies ITI-007 Phase Ib/II clinical trial for schizophrenia meets primary endpoint

Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. today announced the results from a Phase Ib/II clinical trial in patients with schizophrenia with ITI-007, the Company's unique, investigational new drug for the treatment of schizophrenia. The trial met its primary endpoint demonstrating that ITI-007 was safe and well-tolerated in patients with stabilized schizophrenia.

30 Jul 2010

ACADIA initiates new pimavanserin Phase III trial for Parkinson's disease psychosis

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company utilizing innovative technology to fuel drug discovery and clinical development of novel treatments for central nervous system disorders, today announced that it has initiated a new Phase III trial designed to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and safety of pimavanserin as a treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP).

30 Jul 2010

Rotigotine provides clinically relevant improvements in RLS symptoms: Study

UCB today announced the results of a 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, published in the journal Movement Disorders, showing that Neupro® (rotigotine transdermal system, 2 and 3 mg/24 hours) provided sustained, clinically relevant improvements in symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). The study also showed high rates of complete remission seen with rotigotine 2 mg or 3 mg/24 hours.

29 Jul 2010

Loss of key nerve cells cause Parkinson's disease: Research

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a molecular pathway responsible for the death of key nerve cells whose loss causes Parkinson's disease. This discovery not only may explain how a genetic mutation linked to Parkinson's causes the cells' death, but could also open the door to new therapeutic approaches for the malady.

29 Jul 2010