Animal Models of Drug Addictions: High Hopes for Therapeutic Treatments

Addictions to substances both licit (e.g., alcohol, nicotine) and illicit (e.g., marijuana, cocaine) are a pervasive national and international social and economic challenge, accounting for as much as $600 billion annually in cumulative losses in the United States alone. The treatment of addictions and addictive behaviors is thus an important public health concern. The articles in this issue highlight the remarkable advances in the field of addiction research, drawing from a broad array of studies that have used animal models to elucidate brain mechanisms, structural and functional alterations, and associated behavioral changes. The strength and significance of these studies lie in the accuracy with which they model the clinical condition and thus contribute to effective translation. The authors also note some of the challenges and opportunities in the science of drug abuse and treatment of addiction.

The topic is both important and broad enough to warrant two issues, in which experts review efforts to understand a variety of substance dependences and to develop therapeutic treatments for them. In this issue the authors address addictions to alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, opiates, cocaine, methamphetamine, and ketamine. Articles in the subsequent issue will focus on the neurobiology of addiction-like behaviors, addressing addiction and psychiatric disorders, sex differences in addiction, and various aspects of food addiction. Each issue also includes an article on IACUC considerations relevant to addiction-related research.

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