Nanoparticles to tackle drug addiction

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by Change | 25 Mar 2009

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A new form of drug addiction treatment is focussing on nanotechnology in a bid to "turn off" one type of gene.

drug addiction treatment that looks at tackling addiction problems through a gene that is thought to be particularly responsible for people becoming addicted is being developed.

Researchers from the University at Buffalo in the US have been creating nanoparticles that can shut off the gene's activity, which they hope will allow drug addicts to more effectively overcome their addiction problems.

"In the future, we might be able to add a powerful pharmaceutical agent to the current arsenal of weapons in order to more effectively fight a whole range of substance addictions," suggested Paras N Prasad, who led the research.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, the study could help form an important part of a person's addiction treatment in the future.

However, at present no such 'magic bullet' approach exists for addiction treatment and as such many people need to use the help offered by a rehab center.

rehab centers can help to tackle a person's addiction problem by developing a tailored programme for addiction treatment that is designed to help the specific needs of the individual.

rehab centers can also offer support and advice to help drug addicts get their life back on track once they leave the rehab center.

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