Dopamine receptor partial agonists and addiction

Many drugs abused by humans acutely facilitate, either directly or indirectly, dopamine neurotransmission in the mesolimbic pathway. As a consequence dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists have been widely investigated as putative pharmacological therapies for addiction. This general strategy, however, has had only limited success due in part to poor treatment adherence and efficacy and the significant adverse effects of dopaminergic medications. In this perspective, we discuss the potential therapeutic use of dopamine receptor partial agonists in addiction, developed initially as antipsychotic agents. Recent research indicates that the dopamine D2 receptor partial agonists, such as aripiprazole, also shows useful ancillary efficacy in several animal models of psychostimulant and opioid addiction. Notably, these findings suggest that unlike full dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists these compounds have low abuse liability and are generally well tolerated. Indeed, partial dopamine agonists attenuate the rewarding properties of opioids without interfering with their analgesic effects. Herein we discuss the utility and potential of dopamine receptor partial agonists as treatments for both stimulant and non-stimulant drug addiction.