▲ Professor Baek Ja HyunProvided by the Korea University Communications Department

Professor Baek Ja Hyun (Life Sciences and Biotechnology) succeeded in revealing the mutual relationship between the dopamine acceptor D2 type gene and the consistency of drug addiction for the first time on the globe. This outstanding research was conducted under Professor Baek’s leadership, and was posted on “Nature Communications” on March 12.

Drug addiction is a phenomenon in which a person exhibits psychological or physical dependency on a certain drug. This is a type of mental disorder, which causes a person to feel intense desire for a drug even after the physical withdrawal symptoms disappear. Regardless of nations and ethnicities, drug addiction is a huge social problem. The number of drug addict patients is annually increasing, but the cure had not been lucidly demonstrated so far. A typical example of a drug addict is cocaine, which is known to be used across 130 countries. This substance increases the amount of dopamine, and builds up the level of addiction.

Thus far, the journey to finding the cure for drug addiction has been especially hard because the drug itself alters the connection of the brain synapse. Interestingly, the alteration of brain synapse caused by drug addiction is chemically similar to that of stress factors. These two similar changes are assumed to mutually interact with each other, yet its complexity has prevented scientists from investigating the relationship between stress levels and drug addict. Hence, Professor Baek’s team achieved a breakthrough by explaining how chronic stress changes the behavior of drug addict. Professor Baek said, “It was challenging to investigate the complex chemical reaction of the dopamine, but I am very proud to reveal the relationship between chronic stress and drug addiction.”

This particular research reveals that chronic stress, rather than known as the outset of addiction, plays an important role in recurrence of addiction. What is more is that the scientific explanation of how dopamine acceptor D2 involves in the addiction process may suggest a possible solution in curing addiction in the near future. Professor Baek said, “After moving to KU since September 2003, research environment was inadequate. Yet with the students’ rigorous effort, we were successful in exploring nerve transmitting chemicals.”