US EditionScientists Hooking Flies on Cocaine to Study Addiction: Reports
- In 2025, researchers administered cocaine to specially engineered fruit flies to investigate addiction, a condition impacting nearly 50 million people in the United States.
- The study faced a setback when researchers discovered flies disliked cocaine due to activation of bitter taste receptors on their arms.
- The team overcame this by muting bitter-sensing nerves, causing flies to prefer low doses of cocaine-laced sugar water similar to human reactions.
- Associate professor Adrian Rothenfluh explained that because fruit flies have a rapid life cycle and are convenient for genetic research, they serve as an effective model for accelerating the discovery of risk genes and potential treatments.
- These findings may help uncover mechanisms of cocaine use disorder and guide future treatments despite no current FDA-approved pharmacotherapies.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Fruit flies are an ideal model organism. However, they did not help in the study of cocaine addiction because they disdain the drug. This has now changed.
Flies plied with cocaine to halt crippling illness suffered by 48.5m in US
SCIENTISTS are giving cocaine to genetically modified fruit flies to combat a crippling illness that effect nearly 50 million Americans. Researchers are using Drosophila flies, a species that has a lot in common with people, sharing around 75% of the genes that cause disease in humans. GettyA team of researchers used Drosophila flies to find possible treatments for cocaine addiction[/caption] University of UtahAdrian Rothenfluh, PhD (left) said …
Scientists hooking flies on cocaine to study addiction: Reports
(NewsNation) — Scientists in recent days have been having flies taste cocaine to build a model to study the disorder and work towards better therapies, a report said. The researchers used Drosophila flies — a vital model organism — because they share a lot more in common with humans, including sharing around 75% of the genes that cause disease in the human population. "We’re not at the stage of developing therapies for cocaine addiction just yet…
NASA Supplies Equipment for DNA Repair Study in Space
Understanding the Role of Fruit Flies in Space Research In the realm of scientific research aimed at uncovering the mysteries of space travel’s impact on human physiology, the humble fruit fly has emerged as an unexpected hero. Known scientifically as Drosophila melanogaster, these tiny insects have proven indispensable in experiments conducted in weightless environments. Despite […]
Researchers Have Made Flies Addicted to Cocaine: a Promising Step Forward in Understanding Addiction
Through genetic manipulation, scientists have triggered addiction in Drosophiles. A powerful tool to explore biological springs of addiction and accelerate the development of new therapies.
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