Therapeutic strategies to treat alcohol-related disorders targeting central immune signaling

Abstract

With its consumption believed to have begun more than 10,000 years ago, alcohol continues to feature prominently in many societies and cultures worldwide. Unfortunately among the two billion annual consumers, alcohol abuse poses a significant issue, with over 76 million people diagnosed with an alcohol abuse disorder [1]. Related to more than 60 types of disease and injury, alcohol consumption is the third biggest risk factor for disease burden in developed countries, such as the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan, and is the largest risk factor in developing countries, such as China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, and Mexico [1]. As alcohol dependence and abuse remain continuing and important health problems, intervention strategies to overcome this drug addiction are urgently required to reduce the burden of their related diseases in society.