title: Evolving therapeutic indications for N-type calcium channel blockers: from chronic pain to alcohol abuse.
abstract: Clinical exploitation of the therapeutic potential of calcium channels has long been limited to L-type blockers for cardiovascular diseases. Recently, N-type blockers have been fully validated for the treatment of chronic pain, following approval of the intrathecally active ziconotide (Prialt(®)). This review describes the successful efforts to broaden the therapeutic scope of this mechanism to other major CNS indications, based on the discovery of N-type blockers orally active against pain. In animal models, the N-type blocker and pain-reducing NP078585 is efficacious against key elements of ethanol dependency, including self-administration and relapse. NP078585 moderately stimulates brain dopamine release without inducing reward or hyperlocomotion. N-type blockers may emerge as a novel class of 'dopamine stabilizers' for the treatment of drug dependency and other neuropsychiatric disorders without the side effects of current therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Canada. fb@interchange.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Belardetti
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type