Molecular Targets of Alcohol Action: Translational Research for Pharmacotherapy Development and Screening

Alcohol abuse and dependence are multifaceted disorders with neurobiological, psychological, and environmental components. Research on other complex neuropsychiatric diseases suggests that genetically influenced intermediate characteristics affect the risk for heavy alcohol consumption and its conse...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inProgress in molecular biology and translational science Vol. 98; pp. 293 - 347
Main Authors Gorini, Giorgio, Bell, Richard L, Mayfield, R Dayne
Format Book Chapter Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Elsevier Science & Technology 2011
Subjects
Alcoholism - drug therapy
Alcohols - adverse effects
Animals
Biomarkers - metabolism
Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
Health Services Research
Humans
Neurology & clinical neurophysiology
Neurosciences
Pharmacology
Translational Medical Research
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Summary:Alcohol abuse and dependence are multifaceted disorders with neurobiological, psychological, and environmental components. Research on other complex neuropsychiatric diseases suggests that genetically influenced intermediate characteristics affect the risk for heavy alcohol consumption and its consequences. Diverse therapeutic interventions can be developed through identification of reliable biomarkers for this disorder and new pharmacological targets for its treatment. Advances in the fields of genomics and proteomics offer a number of possible targets for the development of new therapeutic approaches. This brain-focused review highlights studies identifying neurobiological systems associated with these targets and possible pharmacotherapies, summarizing evidence from clinically relevant animal and human studies, as well as sketching improvements and challenges facing the fields of proteomics and genomics. Concluding thoughts on using results from these profiling technologies for medication development are also presented.
Bibliography:R. Dayne Mayfield, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway, MBB1.124, A4800, Austin, TX 78712, USA. dayne.mayfield@mail.utexas.edu, telephone: +1-512-232-7578, fax: +1-512-232-2525
Giorgio Gorini, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway, MBB1.124, A4800, Austin, TX 78712, USA. gorini@mail.utexas.edu, telephone: +1-512-232-2487, fax: +1-512-232-2525
Richard L. Bell, Indiana University School of Medicine, Institute of Psychiatric Research (PR415), 791 Union Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202-4887, USA. ribell@iupui.edu, telephone: +1-317-278-4629, fax: +1-317-274-1365
ISBN:0123855063
9780123855060
ISSN:1877-1173
1878-0814
DOI:10.1016/B978-0-12-385506-0.00007-7