Gut-Brain Axis and Addictive Disorders
Short description
The overall aim is to identify novel molecular targets for pharmacological treatment of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a relapsing brain disease affecting approximately 5 % of the population. The lack of effective treatments for AUD is a global challenge, and novel treatments are needed. Recently, our team established that appetite regulatory peptides serve as such candidates.
About the project
In this project a combination of behavioural test, electrophysiological recordings and molecular biological techniques are used by technicians, PhD students, postdocs and master students who collectively work towards gaining the detailed insight into the gut-brain axis addiction link. More specifically, we aim to evaluate the role of these appetite regulatory peptides and their crosstalk in addiction processes and to identify the downstream mechanisms of these hormones. We evaluate the gut-brain axis and addiction link, allowing us to study possible differences in response to these appetite regulatory peptides. The involvement of gut-brain peptides for intravenous alcohol self-administration in AUD patients will be tested, adding a translational approach.
Collectively, this contributes to the establishment of our recently recognised research field and thereby has the potential of identifying novel pharmacological treatment targets for alcohol use disorder
Group Members
- Elisabet Jerlhag-Holm Professor, Principal Investigator
- Cajsa Aranäs Doctoral Student
- Christian Edvardsson Doctoral Student
- Sarah Witley, Doctoral Student, Research intern physician
- Kenan Hodzic Doctoral Student, Resident physician
- Caroline Wass Associate professor, Researcher
- Daniel Klamer Associate professor, Researcher
- Jörgen Engel, Senior Professor (Professor emeritus)
