Substance use disorder (SUD)—also commonly referred to as addiction—is a medical illness associated with compulsive and repeated use of addictive substances. SUDs affect the lives of millions of people worldwide and are among the leading causes of preventable deaths and life with disability. Social and economic costs related to SUDs are enormous. Although there are medications and other treatment methods, the effectiveness of SUDs treatment and of sustaining recovery remains a daunting challenge. Current resources and available scientific knowledge to help individuals with SUDs are both underutilized and insufficient. Successful treatment and recovery from SUDs requires not only the determination of affected individuals, but also concerted and continuous efforts from medical professionals, social and scientific communities, and governmental actions.

This Special Collection on Addiction of open access articles, curated by Science Advances editors, Dr. Benjamin Xu and Dr. Kevin LaBar, focuses on scientific advances in the treatment and recovery mechanisms of addiction related to four widely misused substances: alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and opioids. All of these substances continue to have a profound global impact on health and well-being and on social and economic resources. This collection includes comprehensive review articles on these substances authored by leading researchers in the field of addiction, along with research studies that present recent discoveries with clear translational impact on developing new treatment targets and effective intervention strategies. We hope this Special Collection on Addiction will facilitate the effort in advancing the treatment and recovery process of SUDs.