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Pharmaceuticals
Special Issues
Exploring Biomarkers and Pharmacotherapies for Substance Use Disorders
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Exploring Biomarkers and Pharmacotherapies for Substance Use Disorders

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 November 2024) | Viewed by 3099

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ani Gasparyan

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Guest Editor
Institute of Neurosciences, Miguel Hernandez University, Alicante, Spain
Interests: animal models; addiction; psychiatry; pharmacology; neurological diseases
Dr. Daniela Navarro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Neurosciences, Miguel Hernandez University, Alicante, Spain
Interests: neuropharmacology; psychiatric disorders; substance use disorders; clinical trials; animal models
Prof. Dr. Jorge Manzanares

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Guest Editor
Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernandez-CSIC, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
Interests: endocannabinoid system; psychiatry; animal models; alcohol addiction; cannabis use disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

"Exploring Biomarkers and Pharmacotherapies for Substance Use Disorders" is a Special Issue with a focused objective of identifying behavioral, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms involved in drug addiction, as well as potential new pharmacological agents for treating these disorders in both humans and animal models.

Substance Use Disorders (SUD), encompassing alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, and other substances, pose a significant global health burden, impacting millions of people worldwide. Despite the profound consequences of these disorders on individuals, families, and societies, effective and precise diagnostic and therapeutic approaches remain limited. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the specific biomarkers associated with different stages of the disease, aiming to deepen our understanding of the underlying alterations and explore effective pharmacological interventions.

In this context, research focusing on behavioral, brain, and peripheral alterations in both human subjects and animal models, simulating various stages of SUD, is highly encouraged. These alterations may arise from drug exposure during adulthood, adolescence, or even the perinatal period (gestation and lactation). Additionally, studies that delve into the pharmacological aspects, demonstrating the modulation of these alterations, are also welcomed in this Special Issue. To summarize, this Special Issue aims to cover all the essential aspects that can contribute to our enhanced comprehension of the biological basis of addiction and the identification of pharmacological interventions for treating SUD.

Dr. Ani Gasparyan
Dr. Daniela Navarro
Prof. Dr. Jorge Manzanares
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 271 KiB  
Article
Club Drugs and Psychiatric Outcomes: A Descriptive Case Series from Spain
by Chiara Montemitro, Alessio Mosca, Stefania Chiappini, Andrea Miuli, Fabrizio Schifano, Maria Josè Gordillo Montano, Cristina Merino del Villar, Rita Allegretti, Carlotta Marrangone, Gilberto Di Petta, Domenico De Berardis, Mauro Pettorruso and Giovanni Martinotti
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(10), 1387; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17101387 - 17 Oct 2024
Viewed by 692
Abstract
Background: illegal drugs significantly contribute to global health issues, with health complications often occurring not only in regular users with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) but also in first-time and occasional users. Methods: this study examines five clinical cases from a public hospital in [...] Read more.
Background: illegal drugs significantly contribute to global health issues, with health complications often occurring not only in regular users with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) but also in first-time and occasional users. Methods: this study examines five clinical cases from a public hospital in Ibiza, Spain, where patients presented with acute psychiatric symptoms due to recreational drug use. Results: Contrary to previous studies on SUDs, our patients typically had higher education levels and stable employment. Most of them used multiple substances, with cannabis, cocaine, and alcohol being the most frequently used. There was also a common occurrence of consuming drugs with uncertain contents. Upon admission, typical symptoms included aggression, hallucinations, mood swings, and disorientation in time and space. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the significant mental health risks posed by illicit drugs, even for individuals with no prior psychiatric history. Factors like the drug’s potency, frequency and amount of use, past mental health issues, personality traits, and previous traumatic experiences might influence the onset of these symptoms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Biomarkers and Pharmacotherapies for Substance Use Disorders)
18 pages, 1608 KiB  
Article
Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Synthesis Prevents the Effects of Intermittent Social Defeat on Cocaine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference in Male Mice
by María Ángeles Martínez-Caballero, María Pilar García-Pardo, Claudia Calpe-López, María Carmen Arenas, Carmen Manzanedo and María Asuncion Aguilar
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(9), 1203; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17091203 - 12 Sep 2024
Viewed by 698
Abstract
We have previously observed that mice exposed to social defeat stress are more sensitive to cocaine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. In this context, it has been suggested that the nitric oxide (NO) pathway plays a role in the effects of [...] Read more.
We have previously observed that mice exposed to social defeat stress are more sensitive to cocaine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. In this context, it has been suggested that the nitric oxide (NO) pathway plays a role in the effects of stress. The present study evaluates the role of a neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) inhibitor (7-nitroindazole, 7-NI) in the short- and long-term behavioural effects of intermittent social defeat (ISD). Four groups of mice were employed for the study: a control group and three stressed groups, one treated with vehicle and two treated with 7-NI (7.25 or 12.5 mg/kg). After the last episode of defeat, mice were tested in the elevated plus maze (EPM), social interaction, object recognition and tail suspension tests. Three weeks later, mice were conditioned with cocaine (1 mg/kg). Stressed mice, irrespective of the treatment received, showed anxiety in the EPM, presented a deficit of social interaction and spent less time immobile in the tail suspension test. However, only stressed mice treated with vehicle developed CPP. Thus, although 7-NI did not modify the short-term behavioural effects of ISD, it prevented ISD-induced potentiation of the rewarding properties of cocaine in adulthood. These results support a specific role of nNOS in the effects of social stress on drug reward. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Biomarkers and Pharmacotherapies for Substance Use Disorders)
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Review

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17 pages, 1786 KiB  
Review
Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Compounds for Substance Use Disorders
by Tamara Valdez, Valbhi Patel, Nattaphone Senesombath, Zayd Hatahet-Donovan and Mary Hornick
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(11), 1484; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17111484 - 5 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1235
Abstract
Psychedelics have recently (re)emerged as therapeutics of high potential for multiple mental health conditions, including substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite early mid-20th century anecdotal reports and pilot studies demonstrating the possibility of these substances in efficaciously treating conditions such as alcohol and opioid [...] Read more.
Psychedelics have recently (re)emerged as therapeutics of high potential for multiple mental health conditions, including substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite early mid-20th century anecdotal reports and pilot studies demonstrating the possibility of these substances in efficaciously treating conditions such as alcohol and opioid use disorders, legal restrictions and social stigma have historically hindered further research into this area. Nevertheless, concurrent with the rise in SUDs and other mental health conditions, researchers have again turned their attention to these compounds, searching for differing pharmacological targets as well as more holistic treatments that might increase patient adherence and efficacy. The aim of this review is to examine the emerging evidence-based data with regards to the therapeutic treatment of SUDs with the psychedelic compounds psilocybin, ketamine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), ayahuasca, ibogaine and peyote. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Biomarkers and Pharmacotherapies for Substance Use Disorders)
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