Gene therapy successfully curbs alcoholism in study

Gene therapy has shown promising results in treating a variety of diseases from cancer to HIV. Now, the same technology is being investigated as a potential treatment for alcohol addiction.

Gene therapy has changed the medical field in countless ways, transforming how patients are diagnosed and treated for a wide range of disorders and diseases.

The technology aims to modify how genes are expressed, essentially replacing a faulty gene with a healthy copy.

Recently, a team of researchers from the Oregon Health and Science University, the Oregon National Primate Research Center, and the University of California San Francisco were able to curb the alcohol compulsion in macaque monkeys with the help of gene therapy.

Science behind alcoholism

Alcohol, particularly ethanol which is found in most alcoholic beverages is known to inhibit brain function. When these beverages are ingested, it increases the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA known to facilitate brain communication, hindering or activating signals.

Hence, alcohol’s effect on GABA increases the brain’s dopamine production; the…