Danish researchers at the University of Copenhagen have mapped a neural mechanism underlying cocaine addiction, a finding that could speed up the search for therapies to curb drug cravings. The work appears in Nature, a leading scientific magazine known for high-impact discoveries.
Using the world’s most powerful electron microscope, the team examined the architecture of a protein called DAT, which moves the neurotransmitter dopamine where it needs to go. Dopamine fuels the brain’s reward system, producing feelings of pleasure that motivate behavior and learning.
The scientists showed that cocaine does not directly trigger dopamine release. Instead, the drug grabs hold of DAT and blocks it, stopping dopamine from being cleared from the reward center. With dopamine lingering, the brain begins to interpret a wide range of actions as rewarding, even when the actual experience isn’t pleasant.
Professor Klaus Löland, a co-author of the study, explains the effect this way: when cocaine blocks the dopamine transporter, the reward center keeps firing even if the experience is not genuinely enjoyable. In effect, the drug confuses the brain and makes ordinary sensations seem beautiful. This insight has implications for understanding how cocaine and other euphoric substances hijack neural circuits and contribute to addictive behavior.
Researchers emphasize that decoding how cocaine interacts with dopamine pathways could guide the development of new strategies to help people break free from addiction and implement more effective treatment approaches. The findings add to a growing body of work that connects molecular changes in reward pathways with long-term behavioral outcomes and the potential for relapse prevention.
In related observations, scientists have noted unusual cocaine-related traces in marine life, such as sharks off the coast of Brazil. While intriguing, these findings do not imply that marine species are experiencing addiction in the same way humans do; rather, they reflect environmental exposure and biochemical residues that researchers monitor to understand broader ecological and health implications.