He created a drug to help him fight hangovers like the one used by spy 007.
A special 'James Bond'-style drug that allows a spy to drink alcohol without getting drunk could be developed in the future, after scientists 'created' mutant worms that can't get drunk.
The worms were created by implanting edited human neurons into them, according to the Telegraph.
Scientists have modified a potassium channel found in nerve cell membranes that is sensitive to alcohol, called the BK channel, and made it insensitive to alcohol, but still able to continue its normal functions, such as coordinating the activity of neurons and blood vessels.
"This is the first example of modifying a human alcohol target to make an animal unable to get drunk," said Jon Pierce-Shimomura, assistant professor at the University of Texas School of Natural Sciences and author of the study.
"Our findings provide exciting evidence that future pharmacists may look to this alcohol target to address problems arising from binge drinking," said Jon Pierce-Shimomura.
Professor Pierce-Shimomura also believes the research could lead to a James Bond-style drug that would allow agents to drink with their opponents without getting drunk.
Such drugs can also be used to treat alcoholism, as they counteract the intoxicating and possibly addictive effects of alcohol. Unlike drugs such as cocaine, which have specific targets in the nervous system, the effects of alcohol and its compounds on the body are complex, targeting multiple brain targets.
Scientists say many other aspects of alcoholism, such as tolerance, cravings and other debilitating symptoms, may be influenced by the multiple targets that alcohol affects.
The worms used in the study, Caenorhabditis elegans, showed the effects of intoxication very well. Alcohol made them crawl more slowly and “swing” from left to right. The drunk worms also laid fewer eggs than normal.
However, this type of worm is not an ideal model for studying other areas of alcoholism. The researchers plan to use mice as models for their further studies./.
According to Vietnam+
