SEATTLE — UW researchers have identified “channel switches” in the human brain that they say could control the release of dopamine.
Scientists hope that this discovery might lead to cures for a wide range of diseases and disorders that don’t currently have solutions.
These “switches,” were found to regulate the motivational state of mice through the limit and release of dopamine using different stimuli. The human brain also happens to have hundreds of similar switches that control several chemicals and hormones that influence our behaviors as well. The UW School of Medicine says the next step is to develop a drug that activates these channels in humans.
“The ability to precisely manipulate how dopamine-producing neurons of the brain regulate different behaviors is a major step toward developing better therapies for a range of mental illnesses,” said professor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences Larry Zweifel.
The drugs could then be tested through chemical trials. For research specifics visit the UW Medicine website.
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