Scientists claim to have successfully reversed the desire to drink in alcohol-dependent rats, paving the way for future therapies to treat alcoholism in humans.
The team was able to use lasers to temporarily inactivate a specific neuronal population, reversing alcohol-seeking behaviour and even reducing the physical symptoms of withdrawal.
"This discovery is exciting - it means we have another piece of the puzzle to explain the neural mechanism driving alcohol consumption," said Olivier George, an associate professor at Scripps Research Institute in the US.