poledriver
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
- Messages
- 11,543
Terrifying new research reveals cocaine makes the brain eat itself
COCAINE could cause the brain to eat itself according to terrifying new research.
A study on mice discovered that the class A drug can trigger out of control “autophagy”, a scary process which makes cells literally start to digest themselves.
Properly regulated, the process is a vital “clean up” service ridding the body of unwanted rubbish dissolved by enzymes in cell “pockets”.
But the horrifying research has shown the process killed the mice when they were given high doses of coke.
Dr Prasun Guha, from John Hopkins University in the USA, who led the study said: “A cell is like a household that is constantly generating trash.
“Autophagy is the housekeeper that takes out the trash — it’s usually a good thing.
“But cocaine makes the housekeeper throw away really important things, like mitochondria, which produce energy for the cell.”
The scientists also found evidence of autophagy in the brain cells of mice whose mothers had been given the drug while pregnant.
An experimental drug, called CGP3466B, was found to be able to protect the mouse nerve cells from a coke induced death due to the terrifying process.
The drug is already known to be fit for humans as it has been through clinical trials to treat Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease.
But far more research is needed to find out if the drug can counteract the harmful effects of cocaine abuse in people, according to the scientists.
Co-author of the report, Dr Maged Harraz, added: “Since cocaine works exclusively to modulate autophagy versus other cell death programs, there’s a better chance that we can develop new targeted therapeutics to suppress its toxicity.”
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he...f/news-story/c887b39a4565e8431f3b4deb0a14033a
COCAINE could cause the brain to eat itself according to terrifying new research.
A study on mice discovered that the class A drug can trigger out of control “autophagy”, a scary process which makes cells literally start to digest themselves.
Properly regulated, the process is a vital “clean up” service ridding the body of unwanted rubbish dissolved by enzymes in cell “pockets”.
But the horrifying research has shown the process killed the mice when they were given high doses of coke.
Dr Prasun Guha, from John Hopkins University in the USA, who led the study said: “A cell is like a household that is constantly generating trash.
“Autophagy is the housekeeper that takes out the trash — it’s usually a good thing.
“But cocaine makes the housekeeper throw away really important things, like mitochondria, which produce energy for the cell.”
The scientists also found evidence of autophagy in the brain cells of mice whose mothers had been given the drug while pregnant.
An experimental drug, called CGP3466B, was found to be able to protect the mouse nerve cells from a coke induced death due to the terrifying process.
The drug is already known to be fit for humans as it has been through clinical trials to treat Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease.
But far more research is needed to find out if the drug can counteract the harmful effects of cocaine abuse in people, according to the scientists.
Co-author of the report, Dr Maged Harraz, added: “Since cocaine works exclusively to modulate autophagy versus other cell death programs, there’s a better chance that we can develop new targeted therapeutics to suppress its toxicity.”
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he...f/news-story/c887b39a4565e8431f3b4deb0a14033a
