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Human beings aren’t the only ones who can become addicted to opioids (learn more about the science of addiction in our special magazine report).
A recent study by researchers at the University of Utah shows that zebrafish, whose neurological structures are similar to humans, can also show signs of addiction to the drugs, providing possibilities for a faster way to test out new therapies that could help people who are addicted.
Randall Peterson, dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Utah, says current drug therapies involve other opioids, like methodone or buprenorphine, and they can help a person with one addiction but leave them with a second one when the treatment ends.
"There is still a compelling need for therapies that work in different ways, not just by replacing one opioid with another," he says.
www.nationalgeographic.com
A recent study by researchers at the University of Utah shows that zebrafish, whose neurological structures are similar to humans, can also show signs of addiction to the drugs, providing possibilities for a faster way to test out new therapies that could help people who are addicted.
Randall Peterson, dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Utah, says current drug therapies involve other opioids, like methodone or buprenorphine, and they can help a person with one addiction but leave them with a second one when the treatment ends.
"There is still a compelling need for therapies that work in different ways, not just by replacing one opioid with another," he says.
How Zebrafish on Drugs Help Us Understand Opioid Addiction
A fascinating new study could help scientists treat the drug epidemic that is ravaging communities in the U.S.
www.nationalgeographic.com
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