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Alcoholics may hold craving for alcohol

Alcoholics may have a chance to hold their craving for alcohol, according to a new research by Australian scientists Monday.
A team from Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute claimed they have developed a way to stop a drunkard from alcohol by blocking the action of the brain's orexin system.

According to the scientists, orexin-producing cells, also known as hypocretins, a pair of highly excitatory neuropeptides found in the brain, which play a role in regulating feeding, can also help treat eating disorders. The chemical is involved in the "high" felt after drinking alcohol or taking illicit drugs or even eating a great meal.

In rat studies, the team led by Dr Andrew Lawrence created a compound which was seen to block the "euphoric" effects of orexin.

"Orexin reinforces the euphoria felt when drinking alcohol, so if a drug can be developed to block the orexin system in humans, we should be able to stop an alcoholic's craving for alcohol," Lawrence said.

A health psychologist Bob Patton, from the UK's National Addiction Center, said, "The results of this preliminary research are certainly interesting; however more research is required to derermine if it works on the complex human brain."

Originally Published: www.medicalindustry.net