First of its kind study by UKZN criminologist

A UKZN criminologist is bridging the gap between the humanities and pharmaceutical sciences in her research on addiction.

Prof Nirmala Gopal from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Discipline of Criminology and Forensic Studies (College of Humanities) initiated an interdisciplinary dialogue with academics from the College of Health Sciences which spanned over five years, and was informed by her inquiry of why the success rate to rehabilitate drug users is significantly low in South Africa.

She said: “Drug addiction has reached epidemic proportions among youth in South Africa. The devastating effects of drug addiction are on the user, the family and community. Drug addiction is correlated to gangsterism and drug wars resulting in many fatal deaths and the perpetuation of violent communities. With the findings discussed, this type of collaboration assures vital progress in identifying, preventing, and treating drug addiction holistically.”

Her knowledge of the social and psychological reasons for the low rehabilitation success made her recognise a possible caveat in empirical work on the neurobiology of drug addiction.

Prof Gopal then invited colleagues at the Catalysis and Peptide Research Unit who were extremely receptive to the idea to join her, and the collaboration was formalised. This resulted in a first of its kind study.

Prof Gopal together with academics from pharmaceutical sciences used mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) in order to determine the localisation and distribution of methadone and naltrexone in the rodent brain in order to better understand their mechanisms of action.

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MSI image analysis showed that the drugs were highly localised in the striatal and hippocampal regions, including the nucleus caudate, putamen and the upper cortex.

“These areas are strongly implicated in the development of addiction and are the major pathways that mediate brain stimulation during reward, and now pave the way for many studies into the exact mechanism of action of these drugs and aid clinicians in making informed choices in addiction therapy,” she said.

Consequently, she then headed a project that resulted in the publication of a groundbreaking paper in the Journal of Addiction Biology.

The paper showcased opioid addiction as a serious public health concern with severe health and social implications, therefore, extensive therapeutic efforts are required to keep users drug free.

The two main pharmacological interventions, in the treatment of addiction, involve management with methadone and treatment with naltrexone, the use of these drugs is coupled with psychological therapy in the form of counselling.

“The strategy for UKZN promotes interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research. We also want to encourage research that has both social and economic impact and relevance. Professor Gopal’s project on drug addiction and initiative between the Colleges of Humanities and Health Sciences is a good example of the type of research we would like to see at our University,” UKZN Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, said.

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