Scientists Say Nanotechnology Breakthrough May Mean Significant Improvement in Addiction Treatment

By Hugh C. McBride

It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but researchers with the State University of New York at Buffalo believe that they are on the cusp of employing nanotechnology to deliver targeted treatments to specific areas of the brains of individuals who are struggling to overcome addictions to alcohol or other drugs.

According to a March 23 release by the university’s news center, researchers with the school’s Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics collaborated with colleagues in the UB Department of Medicine to develop stable nanoparticles that can carry molecules to areas of the brain that are associated with addiction. When the nanoparticles deliver their payload, the result is that a gene that plays a large role in addiction is “silenced,” the researchers reported.

Though their initial efforts involve addiction, the UB team members believe that nanotechnology may one day become incorporated into treatment programs for a number of diseases and conditions.

"The findings of this study tell us that these nanoparticles are both a safe and very efficient way of delivering to a variety of tissues highly sophisticated new drugs that turn off abnormal genes," said Stanley A. Schwartz, M.D., Ph.D., one of the study’s co-authors.

What Is Nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is a wide-ranging term that deals with the development and use of structures, devices, and materials that are molecular in size.

In an attempt to put such small sizes in terms that an average person could comprehend, in the June 2006 edition of National Geographic magazine writer Jennifer Kahn noted that the size relationship between a nanometer and a meter is approximately the same as the size relationship between a marble and the earth:

The main thing to know about nanotechnology is that it's small. Really small. Nano, a pre?x that means "dwarf" in Greek, is shorthand for nanometer, one-billionth of a meter: a distance so minute that comparing it to anything in the regular world is a bit of a joke.

This comma, for instance, spans about half a million nanometers. To put it another way, a nanometer is the amount a man's beard grows in the time it takes him to lift a razor to his face.

Though the science offers promise in fields as disparate as computer technology and clothing manufacturing, medical professionals are particularly excited about the advances that such infinitesimally small tools could create. For example, whereas even the most advanced forms of chemotherapy kill healthy cells along with the cancers that they were created to destroy, nanomedications offer a precision that puts the most effective current laser to shame.

And, as the UB researchers have noted, nanotechnology may allow for significant strides in the medical treatment of addictions and other disorders that cross the biological-psychological divide.

Nanotechnology and Addiction

The UB project involved devising a means of switching off a brain protein called DARPP-32, which experts believe to be at the core of the cravings that accompany substance addiction.

"When you silence this gene, the physical craving for the drug should be reduced," Adela C. Boniou, Ph.D., one of the study’s co-authors, said in the release.

Scientists have previously theorized that DARPP-32 could be neutralized by a specific type of short-interfering Ribonucleic Acid (siRNA), but they were unable to devise a mechanism for delivering the siRNA to the target protein. The development of rod-shaped nanoparticles proved to be an effective means of accomplishing this task.

"We have demonstrated that we can use these gold nanorods to stabilize the siRNA molecules, take them across the blood-brain barrier and silence the gene," Indrajit Roy, Ph.D., deputy director for biophotonics at the UB institute, said in the release. "The nanorods nicely address all three of these requirements."

The End of Addiction? Not Quite

Though nanotechnology holds enormous promise for substance abuse and addiction treatment, the complex nature of the disorder argues against the likelihood of developing a one-size-fits-all “magic bullet” to end all addictions.
For example, while some people who become addicted to drugs are able to overcome their compulsions with medical intervention, others require extensive cognitive-behavioral therapy in order to pursue long-term recovery.

Effective drug rehab often involves an extended intervention that addresses a wide range of underlying and co-occurring disorders, and prepares the patient with the skills, strategies, and support that will be needed in order to resist temptations to return to previous drug-seeking habits.

Ending a person’s physical cravings for a substance can be a significant boost to the recovery effort, but failing to provide the mental health support that will allow the recovering individual to deal with life’s stresses and setbacks in a healthy, drug-free manner would impact the likelihood of long-term sobriety.

Though nanotechnology and other advances hold great promise for the future of drug addiction treatment, if you or someone you love is struggling to overcome an addiction to alcohol or another drug, know that help is available now. Consult your family physician, contact a local addiction recovery support organization, or continue to educate yourself online about the many resources and means of assistance available to you.