Alcoholism successfully reversed in mice

Scientists claim to have successfully reversed the desire to drink in alcohol-dependent rats, paving the way for future therapies to treat alcoholism in humans. The team was able to use lasers to temporarily inactivate a specific neuronal population, reversing alcohol-seeking behaviour and even reducing the physical symptoms of withdrawal. “This discovery is exciting — it means we have another piece of the puzzle to explain the neural mechanism driving alcohol consumption,” said Olivier George, an associate professor at Scripps Research Institute in the US. Although the laser treatment is far from ready for human use, George believes identifying these neurons opens the door to developing drug therapies or even gene therapies for alcohol addiction. 

Coffee compounds may reduce prostate cancer risk 

Besides being the perfect morning drink, coffee may also play a role in delaying prostate cancer, which may pave the way for treating drug-resistant cancer. Scientists from Kanazawa University in Japan have identified kahweol acetate and cafestol — hydrocarbon compounds naturally found in Arabica coffee — which may inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. The pilot study showed kahweol acetate and cafestol can inhibit growth in cells that are resistant to common anti-cancer drugs like Cabazitaxel.

“We found that kahweol acetate and cafestol inhibited growth of cancer cells in mice, but the combination seemed to work synergistically, leading to a significantly slower tumour growth than in untreated mice,” said lead author Hiroaki Iwamoto. For the study, presented at the European Association of Urology Congress in Barcelona, the team tested six compounds, naturally found in coffee, on proliferation of human prostate cancers cells in vitro (i.e. in a petri-dish). — Agencies