INTRODUCTION

大麻素訊息傳導實驗室於2011年在國立成功大學心理學系暨研究所成立。大麻素含括約70種從植物大麻中提煉出來的成份。大麻素透過我們體內的內生性大麻素系統影響我們的心智、腦與行為，也是目前最廣為濫用的藥物。此內生性大麻素系統包含大麻素受體、內生性大麻素、以及其合成和代謝酵素等，並參與在痛覺、視覺、學習記憶、物質濫用、食慾調節、情緒和心血管壓力等功能的調控。

胡書榕老師的大麻素訊息傳導實驗室以分子生物、藥理學、分析化學、和動物行為模式，共同來探討大麻素系統在不同的認知和知覺歷程中所扮演的角色，例如古柯鹼藥物相關記憶及其濫用，嗅覺損害和青光眼等，最終目標希望能透過藥物來影響體內的內生性大麻素系統，以期達到有效治療不同精神疾病的目的。

The Cannabinoid Signaling Laboratory is launched in the Department of Psychology at National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan since 2011. Cannabinoids are a group of ~70 compounds present in the plant Cannabis sativa and related species, a.k.a., marijuana. Cannabinoids, as a prevalent drug of abuse, strongly influence our mind, brain and behavior via the endocannabinoid system in our body. The endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids, and the biosynthetic and degradative enzymes, which modulates a diverse set of functions such as pain, vision, learning and memory, substance abuse, appetite regulation, mood, and vascular tone.

By using molecular, pharmacological, biochemical and animal behavioral approaches, our lab aims to elucidate the role of the endocannabinoid system in several pathological conditions such as cocaine-associated memory/addiction, olfactory deficit, and glaucoma, etc. Our ultimate goal is to identify cannabinoid-mediated therapeutic intervention strategies for different psychiatric disorders.