School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan.
Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, Mo i Rana, Norway.
Curr Med Chem. 2024;31(39):6393-6406. doi: 10.2174/0109298673248999231013043249.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by a strong physiological and psychological craving to consume large amounts of alcohol despite adverse consequences. Alcohol use disorder carries a large health and economic burden on society. Despite its prevalence, AUD is still severely undertreated. The precise molecular mechanisms of how alcohol addiction forms are yet unknown. However, previous studies on animal models show that along with the μ-opioid receptors, the D2R dopamine receptors may also be involved in alcohol craving and reward pathways. Currently, there is a limited number of treatment strategies for alcohol use disorder, which include several medications and therapy. By understanding the limitations of current treatment options and exploring new potential targets, it could be possible to find more effective ways of treating AUD in the future.
酒精使用障碍(AUD)影响着全球数百万人。其特征是尽管存在不良后果,但仍强烈渴望大量饮酒。酒精使用障碍给社会带来了巨大的健康和经济负担。尽管它很普遍,但 AUD 的治疗仍然严重不足。酒精成瘾形成的确切分子机制尚不清楚。然而,动物模型的先前研究表明,除了μ-阿片受体外,D2R 多巴胺受体也可能参与酒精渴求与奖励通路。目前,酒精使用障碍的治疗策略有限,包括几种药物和疗法。通过了解当前治疗选择的局限性并探索新的潜在靶点,未来可能会找到更有效的 AUD 治疗方法。