Role of Multifunctional FADD (Fas-Associated Death Domain) Adaptor in Drug Addiction

Abstract

Human drug addictions are chronic medical disorders characterized by tolerance and dependence to the abused substance, incentive sensitization, loss of control over drug use that becomes compulsive, relapse (Belin & Everitt, 2010), and in some cases high mortality. A large body of research has established that the majority of drugs leading to addiction stimulate dopamine release through the meso-cortico-limbic circuit in laboratory animals and humans (e.g. see Badiani et al., 2011). Brain neuroadaptations along the reward system are a focus of current research, especially those induced in the prefrontal cortex of human addicts (Goldstein & Volkow, 2011). These persistent neuroplastic events appear to be major causes for compulsive drug-seeking behavior despite the negative effects (e.g., neurotoxicity) induced by drugs of abuse in humans (Nutt et al., 2007).