In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists at the Oregon Health & Science University, have harnessed the power of gene therapy, to combat the scourge of heavy drinking. A medical innovation most often used to treat Parkinson’s disease, this cutting-edge procedure has now been shown to be helpful in assisting those who have battled alcoholism for years.
In a recent study, these trailblazing scientists turned to our evolutionary cousins, nonhuman primates, to demonstrate the remarkable effectiveness of this novel approach. By implanting a specially designed molecule that stimulates cell growth, they managed to hit the reset button on the brain’s dopamine reward pathway. This is the neural highway responsible for the pleasurable sensations linked to alcohol consumption, which, when it goes awry, can lead to the torment of addiction.
The procedure, albeit requiring delicate brain surgery, holds promise for individuals grappling with the most severe forms of alcohol use disorder, where conventional treatments have often fallen short. Dr Kathleen Grant, the co-senior author of the study and head of the Division of Neuroscience at the Oregon Primate National Research Center, hailed the results as nothing short of remarkable.
“This was incredibly effective,” enthused Grant. The research findings, published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine, are nothing short of a beacon of hope for those battling the demons of addiction.
At the heart of this pioneering therapy lies a harmless virus carrying a crucial payload – the gene for a protein known as glial-derived neurotrophic factor, or GDNF. This viral vector was expertly injected into a specific region of the monkey’s brain. These monkeys were no casual tipplers; they were heavy drinkers, imbibing ethanol diluted in water.
After just four monkeys underwent this extraordinary procedure, the results were staggering. Their alcohol consumption plummeted by over 90% compared to a control group, bringing it almost to the point of non-existence. “Drinking went down to almost zero,” Grant marvelled. “For months on end, these animals would choose to drink water and just avoid drinking alcohol altogether.”
GDNF, a growth factor, acted as the magic elixir in this scientific feat. Researchers noted a remarkable boost in the functioning of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, the very cells responsible for our feelings of pleasure and reward. In the case of alcohol use disorder, chronic drinking had stifled the release of dopamine, leading individuals to seek ever more alcohol to maintain their elusive high.
In essence, this revolutionary gene therapy gave dopamine levels a much-needed boost by introducing GDNF into the brain’s dopamine-rich territory. To administer it with pinpoint precision, veterinarians at the Oregon Primate National Research Center relied on magnetic resonance imaging to guide the insertion of GDNF via an adeno-associated virus. This virus, unlike its disease-causing counterparts, posed no harm to its host.
The outcome was nothing short of astonishing. “The monkeys that were treated with this gene permanently started overexpressing dopamine and they decreased their drinking substantially,” Dr. Grant declared.
Extreme alcohol use causes roughly 62 000 deaths a year in South Africa alone. Globally, the annual death toll surpasses a staggering 2.4 million. The findings of this study, while promising, should be seen as a last resort, an intervention for those who have exhausted all other avenues of treatment.
“It would be most appropriate for people who have already shown that all our normal therapeutic approaches do not work for them,” Grant emphasized. “They are likely to create severe harm or kill themselves or others due to their drinking.” This pioneering gene therapy offers a glimmer of hope for those whose lives have been hijacked by alcoholism, providing a lifeline for those who have nowhere else to turn.
