Health - Morphine Dependency Blocked By Single Genetic Change

[pixplzthx]

Wonderfully interesting article.

Some highlights:

Morphine’s serious side effect as a pain killer – its potential to create dependency – has been almost completely eliminated in research with mice by genetically modifying a single trait on the surface of neurons. The study scientists think a drug can be developed to similarly block dependency.

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The research is the first direct demonstration that this single cellular change can block the body’s tendency to become tolerant of the drug, she points out.

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“The most promising aspect of these other approaches is that they have the potential to prevent or delay dependence and addiction to morphine, but few of them address the development of tolerance,” Whistler said.

Bottom of the page info:
The research was published online January 17 by “Current Biology” and appears in the journal’s January 23 print edition. Coauthors on the paper are Joseph Kim, PhD; Selena Bartlett, PhD; Li He, MD; Carsten K. Nielsen, PhD; Amy Chang, BS; Viktor Kharazai, PhD, Maria Waldhoer, PhD, Chrissi Oul, BS, and Stacy Taylor, BS, all at the Gallo Center. Also: Madeline Ferwerdal, BS, and Dragana Cado, PhD, both at the Caner Research Laboratory, UC Berkeley.