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Review
. 2008 Nov;7(5):468-81.
doi: 10.2174/187152708786927859.

The endocannabinoid system: a new molecular target for the treatment of tobacco addiction

Maria Scherma  1 , Paola Fadda, Bernard Le Foll, Benoit Forget, Walter Fratta, Steven R Goldberg, Gianluigi Tanda
Affiliations
Review

The endocannabinoid system: a new molecular target for the treatment of tobacco addiction

Maria Scherma et al. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2008 Nov.

Abstract

Tobacco addiction is one of the leading preventable causes of mortality in the world and nicotine appears to be the main critical psychoactive component in establishing and maintaining tobacco dependence. Several lines of evidence suggest that the rewarding effects of nicotine, which underlie its abuse potential, can be modulated by manipulating the endocannabinoid system. For example, pharmacological blockade or genetic deletion of cannabinoid CB(1) receptors reduces or eliminates many behavioral and neurochemical effects of nicotine that are related to its addictive potential. This review will focus on the recently published literature about the role of the endocannabinoid system in nicotine addiction and on the endocannabinoid system as a novel molecular target for the discovery of medications for tobacco dependence.

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