How Does Cocaine Cause Self-Cannibalization In Brain Cells

Self-cannibalization or autophagy is a normal pathway of cell death but it can be destructive once it gets activated by any pathological agent. Cocaine is one of the most abused drugs in modern society, with overdoses that are frequently lethal. The cocaine’s cellular toxicity involves a signaling cascade that utilizes the gasotransmitter nitric oxide, which leads to autophagy, a cellular modification that can cause cell death. Cocaine abuse also leads to neuroinflammation, which, in turn, contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. The autophagy generally protective in nature, but it also can be destructive leading to autophagic cell death. In this report we shall discuss about this mechanism and how does it occur