Fri. Oct 11, 2019 8:40 AM - 10:20 AM Room 11 (502)

Organizer / Chair: Tomohisa MORI (Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University, Japan), Co-chair: Tadashi SAIGUSA (Department of Pharmacology, Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, Japan), Discussants: ‌Makoto TANIGUCHI (Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, USA), Yuta OHGI (Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Japan)

Psychostimulants, such as amphetamine, methamphetamine and cocaine, have been widely abused worldwide, and exhibit strong potential for relapse. Most seriously, psychostimulants show a very high percentage of re-use. On the other hand, President Trump announced that U.S.A. is facing opioid crisis as a national public health emergency, and this social issue is not the social problem limited in the U.S.A. any more. A large and growing body of evidence has demonstrated that mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, which project from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens, play a key role in the reinforcing/rewarding effects of abuse drugs in humans/animals. Drug-dependence involves many factors, especially biological changes or adaptative responses in the brain as well as peripheral systems including organs. Furthermore, social, familial and environmental factors should be acknowledged. Thus, the treatment of drug abuse is complex; treatment strategies should include psychobiological, social, and pharmacological considerations based on the patient's background. So far agonist therapies are somewhat effective for the treatment of drugs abuse, there are currently no medications available to be completely satisfied for the treatment of drug abuse per se. To reach the goal of our research in the medication for drug-dependence, we need to know "where are we and/or where should we go?” In this symposium, 4 speakers are going to talk their cutting edge views to review these questions.