“Biochemical and behavioral characterization of cocaine effects in planaria.”

On é R. Pagan, Ph.D., West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383

Cocaine addiction is intensively studied, however, there are relatively fewer studies addressing acute cocaine toxicity. The worst possible effect of cocaine use is sudden death, which, paradoxically, can be unrelated of cocaine’s addictive properties, since a first-time user can die from an overdose. The flatworm planaria is a very popular model organism in developmental biology. In recent years, these invertebrates have become increasingly popular as a model organism in neuropharmacology research. Phylogenetically, planaria is the first example of an organism possessing a well-defined brain, with many structural similarities to vertebrate nervous systems. Recent studies indicate that cocaine elicits behavioral effects in planarian worms. In this project, we propose to characterize the cocaine binding sites in planaria using biochemical and behavioral techniques. Any information regarding these sites will be useful in the search for compounds capable of antagonizing cocaine effects in a variety of organisms, including humans.

On é R. Pagan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
West Chester University
750 S. Church Street
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone: 610-436-2165
Fax:610-438-2183
opagan@wcupa.edu