title: Orexin Receptor Targets for Anti-Relapse Medication Development in Drug Addiction.
abstract: Drug addiction is a chronic illness characterized by high rates of relapse. Relapse to drug use can be triggered by re-exposure to drug-associated cues, stressful events, or the drug itself after a period of abstinence. Pharmacological intervention to reduce the impact of relapse-instigating factors offers a promising target for addiction treatment. Growing evidence has implicated an important role of the orexin/hypocretin system in drug reward and drug-seeking, including animal models of relapse. Here, we review the evidence for the role of orexins in modulating reward and drug-seeking in animal models of addiction and the potential for orexin receptors as specific targets for anti-relapse medication approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
authors.forename: Luyi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wei-Lun
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: See
keywords: addiction; hypocretin; orexin; reinstatement; relapse