For years, problems have arisen from using opioid drugs for pain management. Most notably, many patients have developed addictions to the pain medications. Researchers have struggled to find ways to use the drugs while lowering the risk of addiction. As a result, many patients have become addicted to pain management drugs.
New studies show that separating results and addiction may prove possible. Researchers at the University of Adelaide, Australia and the University of Colorado have found striking discoveries. In previous studies, the immune system?s role in pain management was not scrutinized. These researchers have recently detailed the immune system?s function.
They found blocking the Toll-Like receptor 4, part of the immune system, can stymie addiction. What?s more, doing so also boosts the drug?s effectiveness against pain. The Journal of Neuroscience featured the study recently.
Doctors and researchers now know that both the immune and central nervous systems play important roles. They?ve long known that both systems help in pain management. They now know the immune system also helps the body become addicted to the medication. Now, as a result of the Toll-Like receptor study, doctors have a reason to be optimistic about patient addiction.
Tests were done on lab rats and mice. Researchers successfully blocked responses in the animals that would lead to drug addiction. They did so by administering a narcotic most often used in cases of overdose. They intended to simply hinder addiction. They were surprised to find the narcotic?Narcan?also increased the effects of the painkillers.
Doctors celebrate this find and its potentially enormous repercussions. For over 60 years, doctors have attempted to divorce the positive and negative effects of painkillers. Until now, their attempts have proven fruitless. They hope these new studies can become just as effective in human participants. If the same results are replicated in humans, doctors? longtime dreams would come true.
ABOUT:
Mary Pat Higley is an expert in clinical pharmaceutical care. With years of experience, she has developed an excellent knowledge of all things medical and pharmaceutical. She?s researched projects in areas such as pain management, oncology, neurology and HIV-AIDS. She also has thrived in positions of leadership throughout her career.?
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