Researchers say new drug will block heroine, morphine addiction
Posted: 08/15/2012
A team of scientists from the University of Colorado and the University of Adelaide claim they have found a way to help heroine and morphine addicts kick their drug habit by blocking the addiction with a new breakthrough drug.
In a study that will be published in the Journal of Neuroscience Thursday, researchers report that the drug naloxone blocks the immune addiction response to opioid drugs while increasing pain relief for drug abusers, according to a University of Adelaide release.
Opioid drugs binds to the receptor known as Toll-Like receptor 4 (TLR4).
The drug works by targeting the brain’s immune system, specifically (TLR4).
“…naloxone automatically shuts down the addiction. It shuts down the need to take opioids, it cuts out behaviors associated with addiction, and the neurochemistry in the brain changes - dopamine, which is the chemical important for providing that sense of 'reward' from the drug, is no longer produced," said Dr. Mark Hutchinson, the lead author of the study.
Read more about the study here: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news55261.html
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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