alcoholism

A CRISPR-based system that reverses epigenetic changes caused by adolescent binge drinking reduces adult addiction-like behaviors in rats, a study finds, suggesting that an epigenomic approach could someday help treat people with alcohol use disorder.

Genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic data reveal molecular mechanisms tying these disorders to each other and to immune disfunction.

The researchers say these findings challenge dogma in the field, which has given the liver all credit for metabolizing alcohol.

White women had the highest increase in death rate.

Preliminary findings from a clinical trial of heavy drinkers suggest that the drug can weaken certain memories tied to the reward of imbibing, although the mechanisms aren’t fully clear.

Children born to moms who smoked or ingested marijuana during pregnancy suffer higher rates of depression, hyperactivity, and inattention.

An online survey finds that people report feeling most relaxed with a glass of red wine or beer, and most aggressive when drinking spirits.

Scientists are beginning to unravel the mechanisms behind the therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs.

Researchers short circuit the urge to consume alcohol in rat models of compulsive drinking by shutting down specific neurons wired to the brain’s reward system.

Researchers in Africa observe chimpanzees stealing palm wine from villagers’ cups and imbibing the beverage.

How to Clone a Mammoth, The Upright Thinkers, The Thirteenth Step, and Humankind

Researchers identify a protein linked to excessive consumption of alcohol in animal models.

A mutation in an ethanol-metabolizing enzyme arose around the time that arboreal primates shifted to a more terrestrial lifestyle, perhaps as an adaptation to eating fermented fruit.

UC Berkeley biologist Robert Dudley explains his "drunken monkey" hypothesis for how humans developed a taste for alcohol.

Researchers link a gene already tied to alcohol dependence with a neurotransmitter involved in anxiety and relaxation.

Complex layers of science, policy, and public opinion surround the things we eat and drink.

Understanding our primate ancestors’ relationship with alcohol can inform its use by modern humans.
 

In Chapter 3, "On the Inebriation of Elephants," author Robert Dudley considers whether tales of tipsy pachyderms and bombed baboons have any basis in scientific truth.

Targeting a molecular pathway involved with learning and memory helps rats with a taste for booze wean themselves off of the sauce.