Neuropharmacology of addiction--setting the scene

Addiction is a complex disorder, affecting not only the individual addict, but also their family and the community at large. While therapeutic strategies are available for the treatment of some forms of substance abuse/dependence, these are not without problems and are not universally efficacious. Moreover, in some instances (for example, cocaine addiction), there are still no medications specifically registered as treatment options. In this themed issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, we highlight a number of addictions from a pharmacological perspective, with an emphasis on both mechanism and potential therapeutic approaches that are either under development or reflect preclinical work. As such, the authors endeavour to describe the latest thinking on the neural theory of addiction and corresponding novel pharmacotherapeutic targets, and in this way to set the stage for future advances in research and drug development. In addition, we have also attempted to draw attention to the clinicians' perspective in terms of the interface between basic science and care provision.