Longer Lasting Caffeine

falser writes "Caffeine addicted geeks everywhere may rejoice that scientists have discovered a protein that appears to be responsible for amplifying the caffeine buzz. It also makes the effects last longer. Just one question: how soon until we have a new generation of ultra powerful caffeine products?"

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[Mick D.]

The Chemical they are talking about (DARPP-32) is what makes as long lasting as it is in humans and mice. We already have it in our brains and it creates a positive feedback mechanism that keeps the stimulating effects of caffeine going.

The mice without DARPP-32 reacted very minimally to ~6 cups of coffee worth of caffeine.

So THAT'S why coffee has so little effect on me

[renehollan]

I have to drink massive quantities of strong coffee to feel anything. It's effect on me is mostly psychological: "... ah, that first cup of warm coffee in the morning shakes off the cold of getting out of bed..." ('course I now live in Texas, where it can be 95F at 6:00AM, but you get the idea).

Perhaps I have a genetic mutation that causes this protein to not be present. Researchers also said that it may play a role in enhancing the effects of cocaine and amphetemines. If coke's reputation weren't so dangerous, it might be worth snorting a small line to see if I was immune to that too (though I do not indulge in illicit drugs for recreational purposes). Of course the U.S.'s "War on Drugs" makes such research practically impossible. Perhaps people with an excess of this protein are more likely to become addicted to coke. Certainly formal research in this area might go a long way toward understanding the chemical basis for certain drug addictions.