Scientists from Mount Sinai have found that granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) protein, which is produced by the immune system, could be responsible for the development of a cocaine addiction. The work was published yesterday in Nature Communications.
In this study, the research team found that G-CSF, a cytokine produced by immune cells, was expressed at higher levels in the blood and brain in mice that were exposed to repeated doses of cocaine. When G-CSF was injected in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region associated with reward, the mice took in more cocaine, but their motivation to take in more of a natural reward such as sugar water did not change.
When an antibody that neutralizes G-CSF was injected into the nucleus accumbens, the mouse no longer had as strong of a desire to take cocaine. The findings from this work suggest that perhaps targetting G-CSF could help treat cocaine addiction.
"The results of this study are exciting because outside of 12-step programs and psychotherapy, no medication-assisted therapy exists to treat cocaine addiction," said the study's senior author, Drew Kiraly, M.D., Ph.D. "Drugs that manipulate G-CSF already exist as FDA-approved medications. Once we clarify how G-CSF signaling can best be targeted to reduce addiction-like behaviors, there is a high possibility that treatments targeting G-CSF could be translated into clinical trials and treatments for patients."