[A new pharmacological treatment option for alcohol dependence discovered in transnational study: neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist as a possible therapy for alcoholism?].

Today solid evidence is available that pharmacological treatments can prevent relapse and improve clinically relevant outcomes in alcoholism. In a preclinical and experimental-clinical study George and colleagues first investigated the role of Substance P and its receptor (NK1R) in the context of alcoholism. They could demonstrate that either the blockade of the receptor, or the lack of the receptors leds to a decreased alcohol intake as well as reduced alcohol tolerance and craving concomitantly accompanied by improved general well-beeing.