NIH R01 · 2024
Glial-mediated synaptic remodeling in drug addiction
Abstract This grant application proposes to understand the role of astrocytes in mediating cocaine-induced circuit alterations that drive cocaine seeking and relapse. Outcomes of the first funding period for this R01 project demonstrate that cocaine self-administration (SA) activates an astrocyte-mediated synaptogenic mechanism to generate AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-silent synapses in principal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh). During withdrawal from cocaine SA, a subset of these cocaine-generated NAcSh synapses mature and strengthen by recruiting AMPARs. Experimentally converting and locking cocaine- generated NAcSh synapses within their silent state during drug…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.