NIDA Seeks Public Input for Our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan
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NIDA has begun drafting its strategic plan for 2021-2025, and to best inform that process, we are seeking input from the public and the scientific community.
Research Highlights
Parents’ Marijuana Use May Increase Children’s Risk of Marijuana Use and Favorable Views of Marijuana
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This study found that children’s risk of marijuana and alcohol use and attitudes toward marijuana were influenced by their parents’ marijuana use pattern over time.
Clues to Regulating HIV-1 Viral Gene Expression
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People with substance use disorders (SUD) can be at high risk for contracting this virus, either through injection drug use, or risky behaviors prompted by impaired judgment.
NIDA Researchers Adapt Their Projects to Study COVID-19
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The U.S. is now facing two intersecting health crises, the ongoing opioid overdose epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Regrettably, each has the potential to exacerbate the effects of the other.
E-cigarette use associated with risk of relapse among former cigarette smokers
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This study has shown that among former smokers, use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including e-cigarettes and other e-products, is associated with increased chance of cigarette smoking relapse.
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We know that science itself is at its best when it is most inclusive, and humans are best when we embrace diversity. Conversations about systemic racial inequalities can be uncomfortable...
Researchers Identify Rare Gene Variants Associated With Smoking and Alcohol Use
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International research teams analyzed several hundred thousand samples from 17 whole-exome sequencing studies to identify rare gene variants associated with smoking and alcohol use. They identified rare variants in 117...
Shape shifters: The dynamic role of GCPRs in drug discovery
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A new computational analysis suggests certain dopamine receptors in the brain and body are more complex and dynamic than previously thought, existing in diverse inactive states that only allow the...
Expression of a Gene in the Brain Links Nicotine Addiction to Diabetes
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Rats with a disrupted transcription factor 7-like 2 (Tcf7l2) gene in the medial habenula showed markedly greater nicotine intake than control rats. Reduced Tcf7l2 expression in the medial habenula reduced...
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Healthcare already has effective tools including medications for opioid and alcohol use disorder, but they are not being utilized widely enough. One important reason is the stigma that surrounds people...
Learning how to disrupt cocaine’s effects on the brain
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Just published research by scientists at NIDA’s Intramural Research Program reveals that the drug cocaine causes neurons to synthesize endocannabinoids that are then enclosed within membrane-bound packages, known as extracellular...
Dopamine found to play unexpected role in cocaine withdrawal
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This study has linked cocaine withdrawal to altered gene expression in a brain region affected by addiction.
Mu Opioid Receptors in One Brain Region Contribute to Naloxone Aversion
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Mice genetically engineered to lack mu opioid receptors in the medial habenula were less sensitive to the unpleasant effects of the opioid antagonist naloxone and showed fewer naloxone-induced withdrawal symptoms.
Marijuana vaping and edible use increasing among high school seniors
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A new analysis suggests that among adolescent marijuana users, smoking has become less prevalent, eclipsed by vaping and edibles.
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As people across the U.S. and the rest of the world contend with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the research community should be alert to the possibility that it could hit...
Many People Treated for Opioid Overdose in Emergency Departments Die Within 1 Year
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About 1 in 20 patients treated for a nonfatal opioid overdose in an emergency department died within 1 year of their visit, many within 2 days. Two-thirds of these deaths...
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week Celebrates Its 10th Year
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This week, March 30 through April 5, 2020, is the 10th National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW), a yearly observance organized by NIDA in partnership with the National Institute...
Dopamine Neurons Signal Rich Information About Unexpected Events
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In this study, both rats and humans learned to predict differently flavored rewards in parallel choice tasks, showing that dopamine neurons are carrying much more information than previously thought.
Stronger Brain Circuit Connectivity May Predict Nicotine Dependence Severity
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The degree of connectivity of a neuronal network in the rat brain before nicotine exposure can help predict nicotine dependence severity after nicotine exposure as well as reversal of dependence...
New biological clues linking social connectedness to reduced drug craving and relapse
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This rodent study offers the first mechanistic explanation for the protective effect of social interaction related to incubation of craving, showing for the first time the role of a specific...
Request for Information: Standard Unit Dose of THC
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Today, NIDA issued a Request for Information (RFI) from the research community and any other interested parties regarding the establishment of a standard unit dose of THC in order to...
Serotonin Receptor Agonist Lorcaserin Reduces Relapse to Drug Use in Monkeys
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The serotonin 2C receptor agonist lorcaserin reduced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in response to heroin or cocaine in a nonhuman primate model of relapse.
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Most common mental disorders, from depression and anxiety to PTSD, are associated with disturbed sleep, and substance use disorders are no exception. The relationship may be complex and bidirectional: Substance...
E-Cigarette Characteristics May Influence Use and Are Potential Targets for Regulatory Policy
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People's decisions to use e-cigarettes, as well as perceptions about associated risks, are influenced by the e-cigarettes' nicotine levels and available flavors. The influence of these characteristics on decision-making and...
Study highlights effectiveness of methadone and buprenorphine
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In a comparative effectiveness study of 6 approaches to treatment for opioid use disorders, only treatment with buprenorphine or methadone was associated with reduced risk of overdose and serious opioid-related...
NIDA scientists: Blocking adenosine receptors should counteract adverse effects of cannabinoids
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Computational modeling by NIDA scientists suggests the possible use of adenosine A2A receptor antagonists to counteract the adverse effects of cannabinoids.
Babies exposed to HCV not adequately tested
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NIDA-funded science has found that HCV exposed infants might not be commonly or adequately tested.
Antiretroviral Therapy Combined With CRISPR Gene Editing Can Eliminate HIV Infection in Mice
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This study found that HIV-1 could be eliminated in mice using a combination of two antiviral technologies—long-acting viral reservoir—targeted antiretroviral therapy and CRISPR/Cas-9 gene editing. HIV was undetectable in 9...
Many teens who overdose on opioids do not get effective follow-up
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An analysis of Medicaid records shows that less than one-third of youths treated for a nonfatal opioid overdose received timely follow-up treatment, and only 1 in 54 youths received recommended...
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Researchers move their monoclonal antibody (mAb) into clinical trials to see if it can be an effective treatment for methamphetamine use.