A new treatment for alcoholism in monkeys could help the next human species
In the United States alone, nearly 15 million people have an alcohol use disorder, and about 95,000 people die each year from alcohol-related deaths, According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Most treatment options are in some form of counseling, although scientists have tried to improve the effectiveness of drugs that can make lifestyle changes more permanent.
A new option that may emerge in the future is based on a hormone called FGF21, which has now been found to suppress alcohol intake in monkeys. In a peer review Research published in Cell metabolism on Tuesday, a team of researchers found that a novel analogue of FGF21 given to alcohol-loving monkeys reduced alcohol intake by 50%.
Kyle Flippo, a neurologist and pharmacologist at the University of Iowa, told The Daily Beast: “Using hormones as a therapeutic approach to treat substance use disorders is relatively new. Previous evidence suggests that mutations in the FGF21 receptor have resulted in increased alcohol consumption in people of various ethnic groups and populations around the world. But “this is the first demonstration that FGF21 analogs have the ability to reduce alcohol consumption in non-human primates,” opening the door to a potential new treatment for alcoholism, Flippo said.
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https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-hormone-treatment-for-alcohol-abuse-in-monkeys-could-help-humans-next?source=articles&via=rss A new treatment for alcoholism in monkeys could help the next human species
