School of Pharmacy researcher publishes work on social isolation, drug abuse – KU News

Research on Early Life Stress and Substance Abuse: A Contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 3

Introduction and Alignment with Global Health Goals

A recent study published in Nature Communications by University of Kansas researcher Dr. Zijun Wang investigates the neurological link between early social isolation (ESI), mental health, and substance abuse. This research directly addresses key targets within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Specifically, the work contributes to Target 3.4 (promote mental health and well-being) and Target 3.5 (strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse).

Key Research Findings on Brain Vulnerability

The study, conducted using mouse models, provides critical insights into how early life adversity impacts brain development and subsequent behavior. The primary findings include:

• Early social isolation stress significantly increases heroin-seeking behavior.
• The combination of ESI and heroin abuse leads to altered gene expression in the brain, which appears to increase the likelihood of relapse.
• Adverse childhood experiences are detrimental to the development of the prefrontal cortex, a brain region essential for self-regulation.
• The research identifies a specific brain circuit—the prelimbic cortex to the ventral tegmental area projection—as a key pathway regulating this vulnerability.

Implications for SDG Target 3.5: Combating Substance Abuse

Dr. Wang’s research offers a scientific foundation for developing more effective interventions to combat substance abuse, a core component of SDG Target 3.5. By understanding the underlying mechanisms, new strategies can be developed.

1. Identifying Root Causes: The study demonstrates that vulnerability to addiction is not a choice but is often rooted in environmental factors like early life stress that rewire brain circuitry. This supports a public health approach over a punitive one.
2. Informing Therapeutic Approaches: The research aims to discover novel molecular targets within key brain circuits. This knowledge is fundamental for creating pharmacological interventions that can mitigate stress-induced vulnerability to addiction.
3. Addressing a Widespread Issue: With one in six children experiencing multiple severe adverse experiences, this research addresses a significant public health crisis that fuels the global challenge of substance abuse disorders.

Future Directions and Therapeutic Potential

The research team is advancing this work by exploring cutting-edge therapeutic technologies that align with the SDG 3 goal of promoting health through scientific innovation.

• Molecular Identification: The lab is working to identify the individual molecules, triggered by isolation stress and drug abuse, that impair neuron function and increase drug-seeking behavior.
• Gene Editing Technology: CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing is being utilized to manipulate the expression of target genes within the affected brain circuit, with the goal of altering negative behaviors and reducing the impact of stress and addiction.
• Drug Discovery: Ultimately, this line of inquiry could lead to the discovery of new drugs and therapies that interrupt the destructive cycle of stress and substance abuse, contributing to a healthier global population.

Conclusion: Advancing Health Equity and Well-being

Dr. Wang’s research, supported by over $3 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health, underscores the profound impact of early life stress on long-term health. By elucidating the biological underpinnings of mental illness and addiction, this work provides a crucial pathway toward achieving the objectives of SDG 3. It highlights the need for interventions that not only treat substance abuse but also mitigate the environmental factors that create vulnerability, thereby promoting greater health equity and well-being for all.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily addresses issues related to health, well-being, and the underlying social factors that affect them. Based on the content, the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are relevant:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The research focuses directly on mental health, substance abuse disorders, and the development of therapeutic interventions to improve health outcomes.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article connects vulnerability to mental illness and addiction to “early-life adversities” and “adverse experiences” in children. This relates to the goal of protecting children from abuse and violence, which are forms of such adversity.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Several specific targets can be identified based on the research and issues discussed in the article:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.4: “By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.” The research by Zijun Wang directly supports this target by investigating the root causes of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. The article states that these conditions “significantly impair mental health” and that the research aims to “mitigate this stress-induced effect, either through modifying the behavior or through pharmacological interventions.”
2. Target 3.5: “Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.” This target is explicitly addressed. The research studies how “early social isolation (ESI) increases heroin-seeking behavior” and seeks to understand the mechanisms that lead to “heroin relapse.” The ultimate goal of discovering “novel molecular targets” is to develop therapies that could prevent and treat substance abuse.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Target 16.2: “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” The article highlights that “early life adversity” is a significant risk factor for mental illness and addiction. It mentions that “One in six children have severe exposure to four or more adverse experiences.” These experiences are a form of harm against children that this target aims to eliminate. The research deals with the long-term health consequences of failing to protect children from such adversity.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article mentions one explicit indicator and implies others that are relevant for measuring progress:

Indicators for SDG 3 Targets

• Prevalence of substance abuse disorders (Implied): The research on “heroin-seeking behavior” and “drug addiction” implies the need to measure the prevalence of these disorders in the population. A reduction in these rates would indicate progress towards Target 3.5.
• Prevalence of mental health disorders (Implied): The article’s focus on “depression, anxiety and drug addiction” as significant impairments to mental health implies that the prevalence of these conditions is a key metric. Progress towards Target 3.4 would be measured by a reduction in the incidence of these disorders.

Indicator for SDG 16 Target

• Proportion of children exposed to adverse experiences (Explicit): The article provides a direct statistic that serves as an indicator for Target 16.2: “One in six children have severe exposure to four or more adverse experiences.” This metric directly measures the scale of the problem of early life adversity that the target seeks to address.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: today.ku.edu