Article
Psychology, Clinical
Susana Barbosa-Mendez, Maura Matus-Ortega, Ricardo Hernandez Miramontes, Alberto Salazar-Juarez
Summary: Opioid use disorder is a global public health issue, and the lack of effective therapy exacerbates its impact. Active vaccination with opioid-drug vaccines has shown potential as a therapeutic option by generating specific antibodies that can reduce the antinociceptive effects of heroin and morphine. This study demonstrated that the M-3-TT vaccine produced high titers of specific antibodies and effectively decreased the pain-relieving effects induced by different doses of opioids.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Giorgia Caspani, Viktoria Sebok, Nowshin Sultana, Jonathan R. Swann, Alexis Bailey
Summary: Metabolomics can elucidate the biochemical impact of substance abuse, understand the addiction cycle, and predict prognosis for recovery or relapse.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Gary B. Kaplan, Benjamin L. Thompson
Summary: Opioid use disorder is characterized by excessive use of opioids, inability to control use, withdrawal syndrome, and likelihood of relapse. The opponent process view of motivation suggests that opioid addiction involves positive affective experiences during active involvement and negative affective experiences during abstinence. These negative experiences are hypothesized to be caused by neuroadaptations in the extended amygdala, which includes the CeA, BNST, and NAc shell, as well as input from the BLA. Animal models of opioid withdrawal demonstrate the somatic, motivational, affective, and learning related aspects of withdrawal. Neuroadaptations in the extended amygdala lead to aversive and fear-related effects, hypodopaminergia, and increased vulnerability to relapse. Understanding and reversing these neuroadaptations could lead to new interventions for opioid use disorder.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Susana Barbosa-Mendez, Maura Matus-Ortega, Ricardo Hernandez-Miramontes, Alberto Salazar-Juarez
Summary: Animal studies have shown the need for new opioid-vaccine formulations to generate robust immune responses. One strategy is to co-administer vaccines with different but complementary properties to produce a strong immune response. Two formulations, M-6-TT and M-3-TT, have been developed to recognize heroin and morphine and reduce the likelihood of drug relapse.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Javier Ballester, Anne K. Baker, Ilkka K. Martikainen, Vincent Koppelmans, Jon-Kar Zubieta, Tiffany M. Love
Summary: This study found that chronic pain patients at high risk for opioid misuse showed higher baseline MOR availability in the right amygdala, while patients at low risk for opioid misuse showed less pain-induced activation of MOR-mediated, endogenous opioid neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hyeri Park, Jinny Claire Lee, Lisa M. Eubanks, Beverly Ellis, Bin Zhou, Kim D. Janda
Summary: Unintentional overdose deaths related to opioids and psychostimulants have increased due to adulteration with fentanyl. Developing antibodies capable of binding to fentanyl-contaminated heroin can effectively block the psychoactive effects of the drug on the central nervous system.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Bethany Crouse, Shannon M. Miller, Peter Muelken, Linda Hicks, Jennifer R. Vigliaturo, Cheryl L. Marker, Alonso G. P. Guedes, Paul R. Pentel, Jay T. Evans, Mark G. LeSage, Marco Pravetoni
Summary: The addition of synthetic Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and TLR7/8 agonists to the vaccine improves its immunogenicity, preventing respiratory depression, analgesia, bradycardia, and self-administration caused by fentanyl in rats or mini-pigs. This study supports the use of TLR7/8 adjuvants in vaccine formulations to enhance their clinical efficacy against substance use disorders.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Chieh-Liang Huang, Ping-Ho Chen, Hsien-Yuan Lane, Ing-Kang Ho, Chia-Min Chung
Summary: This study aimed to identify heroin addicts with specific genetic variants in their dopaminergic reward systems and found multiple genes associated with heroin use and craving scores. The results showed a dose-response relationship between the number of genetic risk alleles and heroin craving scores, suggesting potential implications for predicting relapse risk and developing targeted therapies for heroin addiction.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Benjamin L. Thompson, Marlene Oscar-Berman, Gary B. Kaplan
Summary: Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a chronic condition with significant morbidity and mortality even with treatment. Neuroplasticity plays a key role in OUD development, with alterations in dopaminergic and glutamatergic pathways potentially leading to behavioral symptoms.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Immunology
W. Watson Buchanan, K. D. Rainsford, Colin A. Kean, Walter F. Kean
Summary: Opium derived products have been used in ancient civilizations including Assyrians, Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. Morphine was isolated from raw opium in the early 19th century and was named after the Greek God of dreams, Morpheus. Opioid products have therapeutic value for pain management in various medical conditions.
INFLAMMOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Nermin Ahmed, Alana Kassis, Jena Malone, Jodie Yang, Esraa Zamzami, An-Hsuan Lin, Scott M. Gordon, Ming C. Gong, Michael Bardo, Carolina Dalmasso, Analia S. Loria
Summary: This study examined the offspring of pregnant rats exposed to morphine and found that they had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood, as well as dysregulation of the endogenous opioid system. Specifically, the offspring showed impaired physical growth, elevated blood pressure, vascular dysfunction, and metabolic abnormalities. These findings suggest that morphine exposure during pregnancy can have negative effects on the cardiovascular development of the offspring.
Article
Substance Abuse
Julie O'Donnell, R. Matt Gladden, Mbabazi Kariisa, Christine L. Mattson
Summary: Integrating medical examiner/coroner report data can improve identification of specific drugs contributing to overdose deaths and enhance overdose intervention targeting for better outcomes.
Review
Polymer Science
Nusaiba K. Al-Nemrawi, Ruba S. Darweesh, Lubna A. Al-shriem, Farah S. Al-Qawasmi, Sereen O. Emran, Areej S. Khafajah, Muna A. Abu-Dalo
Summary: This review focuses on the importance of pulmonary delivery of vaccines and the use of polymeric nanoparticles as a delivery tool. The study found that polymeric nanoparticles have adjuvant properties and can induce immune responses. In addition, factors such as particle size, morphology, and charge influence their behavior in vivo.
Article
Immunology
Essie Komla, Oscar B. Torres, Rashmi Jalah, Agnieszka Sulima, Zoltan Beck, Carl R. Alving, Arthur E. Jacobson, Kenner C. Rice, Gary R. Matyas
Summary: Opioid use disorder is a serious health issue that has been increasing significantly in the past decade. Developing a conjugate vaccine to generate high affinity antibodies and neutralize opioids before they reach the brain is a complementary strategy to combat the crisis. The vaccine components include an opioid hapten conjugated to a carrier protein with adjuvants, and preexisting immunity to the carrier protein does not affect the immunogenicity and efficacy of the vaccine.
Article
Immunology
Vincenza Gianfredi, Antonietta Filia, Maria Cristina Rota, Roberto Croci, Lorenzo Bellini, Anna Odone, Carlo Signorelli
Summary: Ensuring timely access to affordable vaccines is a global public health priority, as highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective vaccine procurement strategies are essential to achieve this goal. Research in this area needs to clarify key concepts, describe main procurement methods, and identify future perspectives.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pei-Yang Gao, Ya-Nan Ou, Yi-Ming Huang, Zhi-Bo Wang, Yan Fu, Ya-Hui Ma, Qiong-Yao Li, Li-Yun Ma, Rui-Ping Cui, Yin-Chu Mi, Lan Tan, Jin-Tai Yu
Summary: Liver function may play a role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The study found that as AD progressed, certain liver function markers increased while others decreased. The relationship between liver function and CSF AD biomarkers indicates a potential mediation effect on cognition.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2024)
