Traversing the Gut-Brain Axis: Translation to Addiction Medicine

Director's Seminar Series Alcohol and substance use disorders represent the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. There is a crucial need to develop novel effective treatments for patients struggling with addiction. Dr. Leggio's laboratory conducts preclinical and human studies to identify possible novel medications for addiction. His group uses a combination of state of the art, innovative bio behavioral, neuroimaging and pharmacological procedures performed under well-controlled human laboratory conditions. Collaborative bed-to-bench approaches are also employed using behavioral, pharmacological, and transgenic animal models. Initial work focused on the role of medications targeting the GABA-B receptor and the alpha-1 receptor in the treatment of patients with alcohol use disorder, including those with medical comorbidities such as alcohol-associated liver disease and hypertension. Subsequent work has focused on the interplay between addictive behaviors and pathways related to the microbiome-gut-liver-brain axis and to appetitive- and stress-related neuroendocrine systems. Among other lines of research, his laboratory is currently investigating the potential role of neuroendocrine pathways, such as ghrelin and other gut-related peptides, as possible new neuropharmacological targets for the treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders.Air date: 12/6/2019 12:00:00 PM
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