Drug prevents post-traumatic stress-like symptoms in mice

"When injected into mice immediately following a traumatic event, a new drug prevents the animals from developing memory problems and increased anxiety that are indicative of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)....

"Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists utilized mouse studies to suggest that a receptor called Oprl1 is altered in mice with PTSD-like symptoms. They then worked with a group at the Scripps Research Institute who had previously developed the Oprl1-targeted drug to examine its effects on fear memory modulation.

"The group has also shown that in humans, genetic variants of the Oprl1 gene are associated with higher risk of developing the disorder after exposure to trauma. The results, published June 5, 2013, in Science Translational Medicine, suggest that the new drug could have a similar preventive effect on PTSD in humans...."

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-drug-post-traumatic-stress-like-symptoms-mice.html

R. Andero et al. (2013). "Amygdala-Dependent Fear Is Regulated by Oprl1 in Mice and Humans with PTSD," Science Translational Medicine. 5, 188ra73. Abstract.

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