Alcoholism: Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Curbing Alcohol Addiction, Study Finds
A groundbreaking study conducted on macaque monkeys has revealed that a form of gene therapy currently being tested on patients with Parkinson’s disease could potentially serve as a one-time treatment for severe alcohol addiction. The research, led by Prof Kathleen Grant at Oregon Health and Science University’s National Primate Research Centre, demonstrated that the therapy dramatically reduced alcohol consumption in the monkeys by up to 90%.
Alcohol misuse remains the leading risk factor for death, disability, and ill health among individuals aged 15 to 49 in the UK, accounting for 9,641 deaths in 2021. Like other addictive substances, alcohol triggers the release of dopamine, a feel-good chemical in the brain. However, chronic drinking has been found to decrease dopamine release, leading to individuals feeling less pleasure from consuming alcohol. Prof Grant explains, “It seems that they’re drinking more because they feel a need to maintain an intoxicated state.”
The researchers aimed to reset the dopamine reward pathway by enhancing the function of brain cells responsible for dopamine synthesis. Using a harmless virus, they delivered the gene for a protein called glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) to a region of the brain associated with addiction and reward. The procedure involved magnetic resonance imaging to guide the injection accurately. A similar technique is already being tested in Parkinson’s disease patients and children with a rare genetic disorder affecting the nervous system.
Four alcohol-addicted macaques underwent the gene therapy procedure, resulting in a permanent increase in dopamine production and a subsequent reduction in alcohol consumption of up to 90%. Prof Grant explains, “The animals that received an inactive form of the gene continued drinking, whereas in the animals that were given GDNF, their dopamine was restored, and they went to very low levels of drinking.”
While the study’s findings are promising, further animal studies are required before the therapy can be tested on humans. Additionally, due to the invasive and irreversible nature of the gene therapy procedure, it would likely be reserved for only the most severe cases of alcohol addiction. “It would be most appropriate for individuals for which all other forms of therapy have not worked,” says Prof Grant.
The study, published in Nature Medicine, represents a significant step forward in the field of gene therapy for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Gene therapy has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of severe alcohol addiction, offering hope for individuals who have not responded to other therapies. However, more research and clinical trials are necessary to ensure the therapy’s safety and efficacy before it can be widely adopted.