In a groundbreaking study, researchers have engineered fruit flies that can voluntarily consume cocaine, creating the first fly model for cocaine addiction. Typically, flies avoid the drug due to its bitter taste, but by disabling their bitter-sensing receptors, scientists encouraged addictive behavior within just 16 hours of exposure.
The new model is a major step toward rapidly testing the genetic and neurological mechanisms behind cocaine use disorder. Because flies share many addiction-related genes with humans, this research could greatly accelerate the discovery of effective treatments for this growing concern that affects about 1.5 million people nationwide.
Researchers at the University of Utah genetically modified fruit flies to prefer cocaine-laced sugar water over plain sugar water. The dosage was important – flies would only voluntarily consume cocaine at low concentrations – but they developed a preference remarkably quickly, within 16 hours of first exposure.
The study’s findings show that bitter sensation protects flies from developing cocaine self-administration preference. By silencing bitter perception, scientists can use fruit flies as a model for experience-dependent cocaine self-administration preference.
This research has the potential to greatly accelerate the discovery of effective treatments for cocaine addiction by identifying risk genes and mechanisms involved in the development of the disorder. The study’s authors hope that their findings will provide insights into the human condition and lead to the development of new therapies for this devastating disease.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/genetics-cocaine-addiction-29187