Improving Drug Abuse Treatment by Research and Training

描述(由申请人提供)：本次K-05更新的总体目标是支持和扩大申请人在开发和改进药物滥用药物疗法方面的工作，以及指导开始这一职业的科学家。申请者在这两个领域都有卓有成效的职业生涯，首先是在耶鲁大学，然后是哥伦比亚大学。目前的K-05是在2001年授予的，使申请者能够辞去政策研究中心CASA医学主任的半职工作，全职从事他在哥伦比亚大学的生物医学研究和培训活动。在哥伦比亚大学的全职工作使申请者有可能扩大他在不断增长的药物滥用部门的研究、研究监督和指导教职员工和实习生方面的角色，他领导着这个部门。在这4年里，在这些才华横溢的教员的努力下，该司继续开展其已开始的高质量研究，甚至扩大了其范围。申请人目前的研究重点是开发和改进治疗可卡因、海洛因和大麻依赖的药物。目前这些领域的资金是在这个奖项的前三年，因为他的药物开发中心的赠款最近被续期到2009年9月。该中心包括5个项目和两个核心，其中一个用于资助创新试点项目。该中心的项目包括：1)研究阿片类药物的人体实验室。它目前的重点是迅速上升的处方阿片类药物问题，并将说明一些不同的、经常滥用的阿片类药物的增强疗效以及丁丙诺啡对阻断/减少这些影响的作用。2)可卡因的影像研究，重点是复吸以及D-1受体和kappa阿片受体的作用。3)对抑郁的可卡因滥用者进行的临床试验，可卡因最常见的共生障碍。它不仅检查药物的效果，而且还检查如何更好地识别哪些患者需要这种治疗以及如何加强治疗。4)大麻依赖的激动剂治疗。这是第一次对这种常见依赖的激动剂进行大规模安慰剂对照试验，这种依赖在频率和戒断难度方面都被低估了。5)使用多种药物对大麻进行人体实验室研究，以减少戒断或防止复发。除该中心外，申请者还将开发与丁丙诺啡诱导和戒断有关的项目。最后，他将继续积极指导年轻科学家，并在医学生、住院医师、研究员和年轻教职员工层面进行培训。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall aim of this K-05 renewal is to support and expand the applicant's work in developing and improving pharmacotherapy for substance abuse as well as mentoring scientists embarking on such a career. The applicant has had a productive career in both areas, first at Yale and then Columbia University. The current K-05 was awarded in 2001 and enabled the applicant to leave his half-time position as Medical Director of CASA, a policy research center, and devote full time to his biomedical research and training activities at Columbia. Being at Columbia full- time made it possible for the applicant to expand his role in research, research oversight, and mentoring of faculty and trainees in the growing Division on Substance Abuse, which he directs. In these 4 years, aided by the effort of these talented faculty the Division continued to carry out the high quality of research it had begun and even expanded its scope. The applicant's current research focuses on developing and improving medications for treating cocaine, heroin, and marijuana dependence. Current funding for these areas is in hand for the first 3 years of this award since his Medication Development Center grant was recently renewed until September 2009. The Center includes 5 projects and two Cores, one of which funds innovative pilot projects. The Center Projects include: 1) human laboratory for studying opioids. Its current focus is on the rapidly rising problem of prescription opioids and will characterize the reinforcing efficacy of a number of different commonly abused opioid medications and the utility of buprenorphine to block/reduce these effects. 2) Imaging studies on cocaine which focus on relapse and the role of D-1 receptors and kappa opioid receptors. 3) A clinical trial with depressed cocaine abusers, the most common co-occurring disorder in cocaine. It examines not only the medication effect but also how to better identify which patients need such treatment and how to enhance it. 4) Agonist therapy for marijuana dependency. This is the first large placebo-controlled trial of an agonist agent for this common dependence, which is underestimated both in frequency and difficulty in stopping. 5) A human laboratory study on marijuana using a variety of agents, either to diminish withdrawal or to prevent relapse. In addition to the Center, the applicant will be developing projects relating to buprenorphine induction and withdrawal. Finally, he will continue active mentoring of young scientists and training at the medical student, resident, fellow, and young faculty levels.