New research from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York reveals that repeated exposure to cocaine decreases the activity of a protein necessary for normal functioning of the brain's reward system, thus enhancing the reward for cocaine use, which leads to addiction.

Researchers at Gilead Sciences Inc said on Sunday that an extract of the kudzu vine being developed to treat alcoholism may also help treat cocaine addiction.

A regulatory protein best known for its role in a rare genetic brain disorder also may play a critical role in cocaine addiction.

Discovery could lead to better ways of predicting drug abuse risk and treating addictions.

Treatment for cocaine addiction, improved anti-HIV measure part of week-long program.