Protein "Key" Research May "Unlock" Nicotine Addiction

Newswise — Nicotine addiction plagues millions. A group of Grinnell College researchers recently uncovered a “key” that may “unlock” proteins and guide efforts to develop treatments for nicotine addiction. The research, conducted by Grinnell biological chemistry students and led by Mark Levandoski, associate professor of chemistry, examined the family of proteins in the nervous system that respond to nicotine.

Levandoski’s team discovered that the proteins react to certain “keys,” and the new “lock” may provide new strategies for pharmaceutical companies to design drugs and an easier way to overcome nicotine addiction.

The National Institutes of Health and Research Corporation supported this protein research, and the findings were recently published in The Journal of Neuroscience. Levandoski is available for interviews to discuss this discovery in detail, including how it impacts drug design.