New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Modeling of new enzymes helps develop therapies for cocaine abuse

Date:
July 26, 2012
Source:
Public Library of Science
Summary:
Researchers have designed and discovered a series of highly efficient enzymes that effectively metabolize cocaine.
Share:
FULL STORY

Researchers from the University of Kentucky have designed and discovered a series of highly efficient enzymes that effectively metabolize cocaine. These high-activity cocaine-metabolizing enzymes could potentially prevent cocaine from producing physiological effects, and could aid in the treatment of drug dependency.

The results of this study by Chang-Guo Zhan et al are published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.

The effectiveness of the enzymes' work was evaluated through modeling cocaine pharmacokinetics, the study of the body's action on administered external substances, such as cocaine, when the enzyme exists in the body. As there is no FDA-approved anti-cocaine medication, the medical and social consequences of cocaine abuse have made the development of anti-cocaine medication a high priority.

Administration of an enzyme to enhance cocaine metabolism has been recognized as a promising treatment strategy for overdose and abuse. A remarkable feature of the enzyme-based therapeutic approach is that one enzyme molecule can degrade many thousands of drug molecules per minute.

This pharmacokinetic modelling is a crucial step of enzyme-based therapy development for cocaine abuse. Furthermore, the general insights of the research should also be valuable for future development of an enzyme therapy for any addictive drug, as the general methodology of the modelling may be used to develop valuable models for evaluating the effectiveness of metabolic enzymes in detoxifying other drugs.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Public Library of Science. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Zheng F, Zhan C-G. Modeling of Pharmacokinetics of Cocaine in Human Reveals the Feasibility for Development of Enzyme Therapies for Drugs of Abuse. PLoS Comput Biol, 2012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002610

Cite This Page:

Public Library of Science. "Modeling of new enzymes helps develop therapies for cocaine abuse." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 July 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120726180257.htm>.
Public Library of Science. (2012, July 26). Modeling of new enzymes helps develop therapies for cocaine abuse. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 19, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120726180257.htm
Public Library of Science. "Modeling of new enzymes helps develop therapies for cocaine abuse." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120726180257.htm (accessed March 19, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES