Title:Histone Deacetylases as Potential Targets for Cocaine Addiction
Volume: 14
Issue: 6
Author(s): Pamela J. Kennedy and Eric Harvey
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Chromatin, drug addiction, histone acetylation, histone deacetylase (HDAC), histone methyltransferase (HMT),
plasticity.
Abstract: Drug-induced changes in gene expression likely contribute to long-lasting structural and
functional alterations in the brain’s reward circuitry and the persistence of addiction. Modulation of
chromatin structure through covalent histone modifications has emerged as an important regulator of
gene transcription in brain and increasing evidence suggests that misregulation of histone acetylation
contributes to the establishment and maintenance of aberrant neuronal gene programs and behaviors
associated with cocaine or amphetamine exposure. In this review, we summarize evidence supporting
a role for histone acetylation in psychostimulant-induced plasticity and discuss findings from
preclinical studies investigating histone deacetylase (HDAC) action and the use of small-molecule
HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) to correct drug-mediated transcriptional dysregulation.
