Drunken fruit flies have led to the discovery that insulin may
determine susceptibility to alcohol. If confirmed in humans --
and the two species share about two-thirds of their genes -- the
finding suggests a promising way to treat alcoholism using drugs
that control insulin activity. The finding by scientists at UCSF
was published online Sunday (December 12) by Nature Neuroscience
in advance of publication in the journal. The UCSF researchers
showed that when the normal function of insulin-like molecules
in the brain of fruit flies is reduced, the intoxicating effect
of alcohol increases. Earlier research has demonstrated that the
flies and humans display many of the same vulnerabilities and
behavioral responses to alcohol. "This finding opens promising
new avenues for the treatment of alcoholism," said Ulrike
Heberlein, PhD, UCSF professor of anatomy and senior author on
the paper. "Insulin is already known to act in the nervous
system to regulate food intake, so it makes sense that it would
influence the