The role of neuroimmune signaling in alcohol and other addictions has evolved as a key area of future research in the treatment of addiction disorders. A neuroimmune hypothesis of addiction may be a common mechanism for alcohol and other drugs of abuse [1*]. It is important to note that this mechanism must work in conjunction with the neurocircuitry of the extended amygdala and mesolimbic dopamine reward pathways and is unlikely to promote drug abuse and dependence solely by activation of microglia. For example, pretreatment of mice with LPS reduces the neuronal firing rate of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area [26], providing an example of neuroimmune signaling directly affecting neuronal reward circuitry.
