Gene therapy injection into the brain causes alcohol use disorder to stop — in monkeys

This particular gene therapy involves injecting a genetically-modified virus (pictured above) into the brain to stimulate the production of dopamine, which is reduced in people with alcohol use disorder. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

A new gene therapy that "resets" the brain's reward system could help treat alcohol use disorder, a new study in monkeys suggests. 

In monkeys who tend to drink heavily when provided lots of alcohol, surgically injecting a gene therapy into the brain increased the production of the so-called feel-good hormone dopamine, the study showed. This, in turn, dramatically reduced the primates' alcohol consumption, the effects of which were sustained over a year.