Study discovers anti-addiction action of ibogaine

Ibogaine, an African herb, has long been used by alcoholics in an attempt to stop their addiction, with impressive results. However the herb has serious adverse effects, including heart attacks and death. An American team investigated whether or not ibogaine affected glial-cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) levels in the brain. Rats were injected with ibogaine directly into the ventral tegmental area of the brain and researchers found that GDNF levels increased. The study concludes that GDNF may be a new area of drug development for alcoholism, mimicking the effect of ibogaine but avoiding the adverse effects.

J Neurosci 2005; 25: 619–28.