Methamphetamine and MDMA (Ecstasy) Neurotoxicity: 'of Mice and Men'
IUBMB Life May 1, 2004 Yossef Itzhak, Cindy Achat‐mendes 60 citations
Methamphetamine and MDMA are widely abused drugs that may damage dopamine- and serotonin-producing neurons. Evidence from rodent and primate studies strongly indicates these drugs cause neurotoxicity, though human data remain limited. Recent work with genetically modified mice has identified several molecular players in this damage, including dopamine transporters, nitric oxide, apoptotic proteins, and inflammatory cytokines. Understanding the mechanisms behind this neurotoxicity and its behavioral effects could clarify how human methamphetamine and MDMA abuse affects cognition, drug-seeking behavior, extinction, and relapse.