The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) has been awarded a $3.4 million grant to develop drugs that may be effective in helping people overcome cocaine addiction. The four-year grant will help researchers continue their work on this first-of-its-kind addiction treatment.

"Led by the director of UTMB's Center for Addiction Research, Kathryn A. Cunningham, the effort centers on components of the brain's electrochemical signaling system that laboratory research suggests are crucially linked to success or failure in recovering from cocaine addiction."

More specifically, the research focuses on two serotonin receptors – designated 5-HT2C and 5-HT2A – that appear to affect addiction cravings and behavior. The program itself is divided into three parts; clinical research, neurobiology, and drug-design. Read more at MediLexicon.com.

Labels: medications, research, treatment