One of our recent articles discussed the effects of ethanol, or alcohol as it is more commonly referred to. Multiple signaling pathways in the brain are affected by alcohol either directly or indirectly. These affects change depending on the brain region and whether the ethanol exposure is acute or chronic. Based on the varying information provided by the article it seems that a pharmacological cure for alcoholism is far in our future. However, it raises many questions about the possibility of a drug to reverse the behavioral effects of alcohol or the possibility of an alcoholism drug.
What would be the advantage of creating a drug that would reverse the behavioral effects of acute alcohol use? What first comes to mind is use in emergency rooms for individuals who come in with alcohol poisoning. A drug could be created to reverse the effects of the alcohol and ‘sober them up’. However, if individuals experience this they may begin to think that they can drink as much alcohol as they want and all they have to do is go to the hospital and the doctor will reverse the effects with a simple injection or pill. Especially in the case of teenagers or young adults who do not yet understand the extent of the negative effects of alcohol on their bodies may abuse the creation of this drug.
Second, what aspect of alcoholism would a drug for chronic alcohol use target? Would it target the reward of the alcohol or the behavioral effects or tolerance or the drug-seeking behavior? Alcoholism is not a simple condition; there are many aspects. It seems that there would need to be a drug to encompass all of these aspects which may be unreasonable. Although, it seems that the single best area to target would be the desire to seek out alcohol. If the desire can be decreased then, in theory, the alcoholic would cease to seek out the alcohol and therefore no longer drink.
However, with the information from this article it seems that too many structures are involved with different effects from alcohol exposure to really create a successful drug. It is most likely that pharmacological ‘cures’ are a long way down the road and other options should be considered. For example, teaching children and teens about the extensive negative effects of alcohol use to prevent binge drinking and alcohol poisoning. Also, therapies or support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous may be more helpful to chronic alcohol abusers. Individuals must have the desire to face their alcohol overuse and overcome the obstacles even though it may be a more grueling process.
Is a pharmacological cure for alcoholism in our future?
