In the vast universe of addictions, alcoholism is one of the most insidious and lethal troubles. What if a single injection could make it almost disappear? A team of US researchers has experimented with one gene therapy, originally developed for Parkinson's, on monkeys with... heavy alcoholic habits. The results? Extraordinary. Guzzler primates reduced their alcohol consumption by 90% in one year.
How exactly does this therapy work?
The heart of this research is a protein: the GDN extension (Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). This substance supports the survival of some neurons. Among all, those related to dopamine, the neurotransmitter that makes us feel good when we drink a glass of wine, but which, in the event of chronic abuse, tends to be scarce in our brain, eventually producing total addiction. Alcoholism.
For the new study (that I link to you here), a harmless virus was used to deliver the gene coding for GDNF in the brains of four monkeys. These primates, when given the option, drank heavily (the human equivalent of nine drinks a day). "We targeted dopamine-producing cell bodies with this gene to increase dopamine synthesis, restoring what chronic drinking has taken away"said the research co-author Kathleen Grant.
Amazing results, but caution is needed
After treatment, the monkeys' alcohol consumption plummeted. "Drinking has dropped to almost zero", he reported Grant. "For months, these animals have chosen to drink water, avoiding alcohol entirely". But not all that glitters is gold. The "anti-alcoholism" therapy currently requires brain surgery, invasive and probably irreversible.
Given this invasive nature, the therapy may not become a common treatment for alcoholism. However, in some borderline cases it may be the only thing separating people with severe alcoholism from death. "The treatment would be more appropriate for people who have already demonstrated that all of our normal treatment approaches don't work for them", he has declared Grant.
A sort of equivalent of emergency operations to surgically reduce weight.
Beyond Alcoholism: The Possible Repercussions
Dopamine is involved in many other brain functions besides alcohol addiction. Therefore, more research is needed to see if the findings translate to humans as well. Especially, if gene therapy leads to unwanted changes in mood or behavior.
In a world where more than 3 million people die every year for causes related to alcoholism, this gene therapy could be a beacon of hope. It is a very bold and extreme step in the fight against one of humanity's oldest and most pervasive addictions.
Its road to approval and clinical use is still long and full of unknowns, for the first time it seems that there is a concrete possibility of “extinguish thirst” permanently. We will follow the developments.
