Review
Immunology
Md Kamal Hossain, Majid Davidson, Erica Kypreos, Jack Feehan, Joshua Alexander Muir, Kulmira Nurgali, Vasso Apostolopoulos
Summary: The article highlights the development of immunotherapies for substance use disorders, including vaccines and other biologics, with updates on preclinical and clinical progress, challenges, and future directions. While some promising vaccine candidates have shown positive results in preclinical and clinical phases, ultimate success has not been achieved yet, and there are challenges that need to be addressed with more clinical trials for further evaluation.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Zachary A. Macchi, Tara C. Carlisle, Christopher M. Filley
Summary: Little is known about the recovery and prognosis of acute toxic leukoencephalopathy caused by the abuse of opiates, cocaine, and lipophilic inhalants. A scoping review of literature found that while substance abuse-related acute TL often has a poor prognosis, partial or even full recovery is possible in a subgroup of individuals over months to years.
JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Lujain Ibrahim N. Aldosari, Saeed Awod Bin Hassan, Ahid Amer Alshahrani, Abdulkhaliq Ali F. Alshadidi, Vincenzo Ronsivalle, Maria Maddalena Marrapodi, Marco Cicciu, Giuseppe Minervini
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased stress, anxiety, and social isolation, leading to higher rates of substance abuse and addiction. This review aims to assess the association between substance abuse and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs).
JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Javier A. Tamargo, Kenneth E. Sherman, Rafick-Pierre Sekaly, Rebeka Bordi, Daniela Schlatzer, Shenghan Lai, Jag H. Khalsa, Raul N. Mandler, Richard L. Ehman, Marianna K. Baum
Summary: The simultaneous use of cocaine and alcohol leads to the production of a highly toxic metabolite called cocaethylene (CE), which increases the risk of liver fibrosis. This study found that CE cocaine users had higher levels of cocaine in their blood, engaged in hazardous drinking, and had a greater risk of liver fibrosis. The impact of CE on liver fibrosis was greater than that of cocaine or alcohol alone.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carla Occhipinti, Raffaele La Russa, Naomi Iacoponi, Julia Lazzari, Andrea Costantino, Nicola Di Fazio, Fabio Del Duca, Aniello Maiese, Vittorio Fineschi
Summary: This article provides an overview of the role of miRNAs in substance addiction, evaluating their regulatory role in neuroadaptation and synaptic plasticity. It also explores the potential diagnostic role of miRNAs in various stages of drug and substance addiction, and discusses future prospects for miRNAs as potential novel therapeutic targets.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Xiguang Liu, Mendel E. Singer
Summary: The combination of opioids and cocaine is increasingly linked to overdose deaths, but it is unclear how much is intentional usage versus the presence of fentanyl in the drug supply. A study used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2017-2019 to examine the prevalence of opioid and cocaine use and associated factors. The results showed that individuals with serious psychological distress and those who have never been married had higher likelihoods of using both drugs. People living in large metropolitan areas and the unemployed also had elevated risks. However, those with post-high school education were less likely to use opioids and cocaine. Understanding the characteristics of individuals who frequently use both drugs can aid in developing targeted interventions for prevention and harm reduction.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
E. Jennifer Edelman, Geliang Gan, James Dziura, Denise Esserman, Elizabeth Porter, William C. Becker, Philip A. Chan, Deborah H. Cornman, Christian D. Helfrich, Jesse Reynolds, Jessica E. Yager, Kenneth L. Morford, Srinivas B. Muvvala, David A. Fiellin
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of implementation facilitation on the provision of medications for addiction treatment in HIV clinics. The results showed that facilitation increased the provision of treatment for tobacco use disorder, while the provision for alcohol and opioid use disorders did not immediately improve, and there was no improvement in opioid use disorder provision.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maged M. Harraz, Adarsha P. Malla, Evan R. Semenza, Maria Shishikura, Manisha Singh, Yun Hwang, In Guk Kang, Young Jun Song, Adele M. Snowman, Pedro Cortes, Senthilkumar S. Karuppagounder, Ted M. Dawson, Valina L. Dawson, Solomon H. Snyder
Summary: Cocaine exerts its stimulant effect by inhibiting dopamine reuptake, and recent research suggests the existence of a high-affinity receptor for cocaine, which is considered to be the pharmacologically relevant receptor for the drug.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Damaris Albores-Garcia, Kirstie H. Stansfield, Jennifer L. McGlothan, Zoran Bursac, Tomas R. Guilarte
Summary: Exposure to heavy metals, specifically lead, during early development has been shown to impact the response to cocaine and sensitize neuronal systems associated with mental disorders and substance abuse. This study found that chronic developmental lead exposure increased the locomotor response to cocaine in male adolescent rats and altered dopamine receptor levels in the brain, potentially contributing to the increased susceptibility to psychiatric disorders and substance abuse.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Roberto Scendoni, Emanuele Bury, Isabella Lima Arrais Ribeiro, Roberto Cameriere, Mariano Cingolani
Summary: This article provides a systematic review of clinical trials on anti-addiction vaccines for different drugs, with a focus on cocaine and nicotine vaccines. The meta-analysis of nicotine vaccines showed that vaccinated groups were 50 times more likely to create specific antibodies compared to the non-vaccinated, indicating good immunogenicity of the nicotine vaccine.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Rodrigo Garcia-Cerde, Juliana Y. Valente, Zila M. Sanchez
Summary: This study examined the association between positive and negative attitudes and drug use profiles among public middle school students in Brazil. Findings suggest that girls and older students are more likely to be alcohol users and polydrug users, indicating a need for drug prevention programs to focus on deconstructing positive attitudes and broadening negative attitudes.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Nicolo Schifano, Stefania Chiappini, Alessio Mosca, Andrea Miuli, Maria Chiara Santovito, Mauro Pettorruso, Paolo Capogrosso, Federico Deho, Giovanni Martinotti, Fabrizio Schifano
Summary: This review aims to explore the association between recreational drug misuse and decline in male fertility levels. Currently, there is controversy regarding the impact of cannabis on spermatogenesis, while the effects of opiate, cocaine, and amphetamine/stimulant misuse on human reproduction are still unclear.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Olislagers, K. Rademaker, R. A. H. Adan, B. D. Lin, J. J. Luykx
Summary: The study provides comprehensive evidence for a subset of neuronal cell types being consistently implicated in several, but not all psychiatric disorders, while non-neuronal cell types seem less implicated.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Review
Toxicology
Cheng Guo, Lei Chen, Yun Wang
Summary: Psychostimulants and alcohol abuse have negative effects on global public health, especially in relation to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases involves oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, metal homeostasis disorder, and neuro-inflammation. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and identifying therapeutic targets is crucial for treatment and prevention.
ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Taylor J. Aiken, David Komjathy, Matthew Rodriguez, Ashley Stuckwisch, Arika Feils, Vladimir Subbotin, Jen Birstler, Stephen D. Gillies, Alexander L. Rakhmilevich, Amy K. Erbe, Paul M. Sondel
Summary: Neoadjuvant in-situ tumor vaccination using anti-GD2 immunocytokine and surgical resection generates immunologic memory capable of preventing distant metastasis, despite limited efficacy against large primary melanoma tumors.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2022)
