by the drug. Cocaine can modify gene expression, and hence neuronal function, at the transcriptional and translational level. Much current work is focused on understanding the chromatin-modifying actions of cocaine that influence gene expression levels.3 However, far less is known about the mechanisms by which cocaine impacts gene translation. As described below, microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding regulatory RNAs that play key roles in regulating protein translation and that have been recently implicated in regulating the addiction-relevant behavioral effects of cocaine in rodents.
