Plasma microRNAs to Select Optimal Patients for Antibody Production from Anti-Addiction Vaccines.

: Cocaine and illicit amphetamines (disguised as "Adderall") are being laced with fentanyl and producing accidental and intentional fatal overdoses. Vaccines can prevent these overdoses, but 33% of humans generate insufficient anti-drug antibody (AB) levels. Plasma microRNAs (miRs) can be used to predict non-responders.

Exploring Predictors of Treatment Response to GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Smoking Cessation.

Introduction: Understanding predictors of smoking cessation medication efficacy facilitates the ability to enhance treatment effectiveness. In our pilot trial, exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, adjunct to nicotine patch improved smoking abstinence compared to nicotine patch alone. This secondary analysis explores potential baseline characteristics associated with differential treatment response to exenatide.

Promoter region variant C-824T in the TH gene modulates the subjective effects of cocaine.

Background And Objectives: This study examined how a promoter variant of TH (rs10770141) affects subjective effects of cocaine in 65 nontreatment-seeking individuals with cocaine dependence.

Methods: Participants received cocaine/saline intravenously, and TH genotypes were evaluated.

Results: Homozygous individuals for the minor T allele reported greater "good" and "bad" subjective effects to cocaine than those with the major C allele.

A Clinical Trial of Entolimod a TLR-5 Adjuvant for Vaccines Using Diphtheria or Tetanus as Carrier Proteins.

Anti-drug vaccines previously failed clinical trials because they did not provide a sufficient titer or duration of antibodies (AB), but new adjuvants enhance both AB titers and efficacy duration. This clinical trial assessed AB titers after a single booster of commercial tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine in 40 males randomized as 15 to Td alone and 25 to Td combined with the TLR5 adjuvant, Entolimod (Ent). Ent significantly increased ABs against diphtheria (DPT) (0.

Pharmacogenetics of Addiction Therapy.

Drug addiction is a serious relapsing disease that has high costs to society and to the individual addicts. Treatment of these addictions is still in its nascency, with only a few examples of successful therapies. Therapeutic response depends upon genetic, biological, social, and environmental components.

Moderation of buprenorphine therapy for cocaine dependence efficacy by variation of the Prodynorphin gene.

Purpose: The aim of this secondary analysis was to identify prodynorphin (PDYN) genetic markers moderating the therapeutic response to treatment of cocaine dependence with buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone®; BUP).

Methods: Cocaine-dependent participants (N = 302) were randomly assigned to a platform of injectable, extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) and one of three daily medication arms: 4 mg BUP (BUP4), 16 mg BUP (BUP16), or placebo (PLB) for 8 weeks (Parent Trial Registration: Protocol ID: NIDA-CTN-0048, Clinical Trials.gov ID: NCT01402492).

Methylation of the serotonin transporter gene moderates the depressive subjective effect of cocaine.

Genetic variation in the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) has been shown to moderate the acute subjective effects of cocaine. Methylation of the SLC6A4 gene is associated with decreased transcription of the serotonin transporter, leading to increased serotonin in the synapse. In this study, methylation of the SLC6A4 gene was investigated in the moderation of the subjective effects of cocaine.

Paternal alcohol exposure reduces acquisition of operant alcohol self-administration and affects Bdnf DNA methylation in male and female offspring.

Familial transmission of alcohol use disorder reflects genetic and environmental factors. Paternal alcohol exposure may affect rodent offspring via epigenetic modifications transmitted through the male germ line. While such exposure alters alcohol sensitivity in mouse offspring, no studies examined if it impacts the development of operant alcohol self-administration in rats.

The OPRD1 rs678849 variant influences outcome of disulfiram treatment for cocaine dependency in methadone-maintained patients.

Objective: Prior research demonstrated that the δ-opioid receptor (OPRD1) rs678849 variant influences opioid use in African Americans treated with methadone. We examined whether this variant moderated cocaine and opioid use in our clinical cohort of methadone and disulfiram treated recipients.

Methods: Cocaine and opioid codependent patients were stabilized for 2 weeks on methadone and subsequently randomized into groups treated with either methadone + placebo (n = 37) or methadone + disulfiram (250 mg/day; n = 33) for 12 weeks.

Doxazosin treatment in cocaine use disorder: pharmacogenetic response based on an genetic variant.

The α antagonist doxazosin reduces cocaine use in individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) through a functional polymorphism of the . The regulatory role of the α () gene polymorphism in CUD is uncharacterized. To study how the genetic variant of gene (T1848A, rs2236554) may affect the treatment efficacy of doxazosin in reducing cocaine use.

Pharmacogenetic role of dopamine transporter (SLC6A3) variation on response to disulfiram treatment for cocaine addiction.

Background And Objectives: Disulfiram has been beneficial in treating cocaine addiction in several studies. Patients with two SLC6A3 (DAT1) rs28363170 10-repeat alleles who have with genetically high dopamine transporter (DAT) levels may benefit from increased dopamine levels resulting from disulfiram treatment.

Methods: After stabilization for 2 weeks on methadone, 70 cocaine and opioid codependent patients were randomized into disulfiram and placebo groups for 12 weeks of treatment.

Hospital Stay in Synthetic Cannabinoid Users With Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, or Other Psychotic Disorders Compared With Cannabis Users.

Objective: The use of synthetic cannabinoid (SC) products has become popular in recent years, but data regarding their impact on hospital stays are limited. The impact of SC and cannabis use on hospital length of stay and doses of antipsychotics at discharge was assessed in this study.

Method: The sample consisted of inpatients with discharge diagnoses of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorders.

FAAH variant Pro129Thr modulates subjective effects produced by cocaine administration.

Background And Objectives: The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide (AEA), an agonist at type-1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptors, is metabolized by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). The common variant rs324420 C->A within the FAAH gene on chromosome 1 codes for a missense substitution (Pro129Thr), resulting in decreased FAAH activity and increased endocannabinoid potentiation. This FAAH variant has been linked to alterations in mood and stress reactivity, as well as being independently linked to increased risk for addiction.

Psychosis and synthetic cannabinoids.

Synthetic cannabinoid (SC) products have gained popularity as abused drugs over the past decade in many countries. The SCs broadly impact psychological state (e.g.

Apolipoprotein E DNA methylation and posttraumatic stress disorder are associated with plasma ApoE level: A preliminary study.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) occurred in 15-30% of Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. We examined whether DNA methylation of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene promoter region or plasma ApoE protein levels are altered in mTBI. APOE promoter region DNA methylation, APOE genotype, and plasma ApoE concentration were determined in 87 Veterans with or without mTBI who were recruited from 2010-2014.