The CRISPR gene-editing tool could be used to better understand addiction and possibly develop methods of “addiction- proofing” the brain, according to research presented at Neuroscience 2017.
Editing genes to root out mutations or diseases may should like an opening scene to a zombie film, but it could be a reality as it becomes a $10 billion industry in the next decade. As the current opioid addiction epidemic continues to grow, researchers believe this method of eliminating the addiction center of the brain could help an increasing number of affected people.
In the study, researchers evaluated the CRISPR's ability to identify proteins associated with addiction and concluded the CREB protein holds an “on switch” for addiction.
“Our findings illuminate which genes CREB turns on and how this gene activation contributes to the progression of drug addiction,” said lead study author Peter Hamilton, a researcher at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “The findings also show promise for confirming the technical validity of these new tools.”
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Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.