A key brain circuit in the fight against cocaine use disorder
A new study published in Science Advances by Penn Nursing’s Heath Schmidt has identified a critical brain circuit that plays a pivotal role in regulating cocaine-seeking behavior.
A new study published in Science Advances, led by School of Nursing Professor Heath D. Schmidt, has identified a critical brain circuit that plays a pivotal role in regulating cocaine-seeking behavior.
At the heart of this discovery lies the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone known for its involvement in regulating food intake and blood sugar. The study revealed that chronic cocaine use is associated with reduced GLP-1 levels, effects that suggest that increasing central GLP-1 signaling could reduce cocaine-seeking behavior.
Further investigation pinpointed a key brain region involved in reward and motivation. By manipulating this neural circuit, researchers were able to significantly reduce cocaine-seeking behavior in animal models.
“This research provides exciting new insights into the brain mechanisms underlying cocaine seeking,” says Schmidt. “By understanding how GLP-1 signaling influences brain activity in this context, we can potentially develop new GLP-1-based treatments to treat cocaine use disorder.”
Penn physicists led by Bo Zhen have created hybrid light-matter particles that interact strongly enough to compute, pointing toward ultrafast, low-energy optical AI hardware.
Penn’s newest supercomputer is transforming research
Penn’s first campus-wide HPC and AI cluster, “Betty,” is expanding access to powerful computing, enabling groundbreaking projects, and fostering new collaborations across disciplines.
A bioengineered bean gum from the lab of Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell is found to reduce the levels of three microbes associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer to almost zero, without affecting the beneficial bacteria normally found in the mouth.
Fighting oral cancer with bioengineered chewing gum
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell shows that antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce the levels of three microbes linked to worse outcomes in oral cancers, paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.
The performing arts at Penn: Process, practice, and purpose
In the vivid tapestry of performing arts groups at Penn, students prepare for their performances while simultaneously enriching their college experience.
