It is thereforeessential to conduct laboratory-based studies and translational studies to determine themolecular neurobiology and genetic factors contributing to addictions, including the role offunctional gene variants and epigenetic changes. The goal is to increase and optimize earlyinterventions for the therapy of chronic addictive diseases that are extraordinarily costly interms of human life, productivity, and expense to liberty cap gills society (116). We have observed increases in the levels of MOP-r in the NAc as well as in the dorsal striatum(caudate-putamen) after chronic cocaine exposure in rodent models (26).
