Tuesday Jun 10, 2025

Lead: Bitter sensing protects Drosophila from developing experience-dependent cocaine consumption preference

Bitter sensing protects Drosophila from developing experience-dependent cocaine consumption preference

The Journal of Neuroscience

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a highly heritable condition for which there are no effective treatments. Testing the many human genetic variants linked to CUD requires a cost-effective, genetically tractable model. This study showed that bitter-sensing neurons prevent cocaine self-administration in Drosophila. Disrupting Drosophila bitter perception enables a model for experience-dependent cocaine preference. The findings underscore the potential of Drosophila as a crucial tool for identifying the genetic mechanisms underlying CUD, aiding in the discovery of new therapeutic targets, and contributing to the development of effective treatments for this highly heritable disease.