Researchers in Sweden raise hopes of drug to fight alcohol dependence

A team of researchers might have taken a step towards developing an effective drug to treat alcohol dependence, bringing cheer to the millions who want to kick the bottle.

In two separate studies, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden showed that dopamine stabiliser OSU6162 could cut the craving for alcohol in alcohol dependent people as also normalise the level of dopamine in the brain reward system of rats that had consumed alcohol over a long period of time.

However, more thorough clinical studies would be needed to determine if the OSU6162 could also help alcohol dependent people drink less alcohol.

Though the results of the study held out much promise, there was still a long way to go before a marketable drug was developed according to co-author Pia Steensland, adding that the socioeconomic costs of alcohol were huge, apart from the human suffering.

Around a million Swedes over 15 years of age are such heavy drinkers that that they risked damaging their health and it had been estimated that around 300,000 of these people were dependent.

Despite the pressing need, there were only a few approved drugs for the treatment of alcohol dependence, though their effects varied from person to person and the prescription rates were low.

"The results of our studies are promising, but there is still a long way to go before we have a marketable drug," Xinhua quoted Steensland as saying.

The human brain responds to triggers to release more dopamine and create a euphoric sensation, although the pleasant effects wear off over time.

The study on humans showed that alcohol-dependent patients who had been given the dopamine stabiliser showed less of a desire to continue drinking after one glass of beer.

"Those with the poorest impulse control, that is those thought to be most at risk of relapse after a period of abstinence, were those who responded best," Steensland said.

The other study showed that the substance could regulate the dopamine levels in rats who had consumed alcohol, suggesting that it might help stabilize the brain's reward system in alcoholic patients.

Researchers have found that a medication currently used as treatment for type 2 diabetes and obesity shows potential as treatment for alcohol dependence in humans. (See: Diabetes drug can help treat alcoholism).