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Morphine tolerance results from Tiam1-mediated maladaptive plasticity in spinal neurons - EurekAlert
<p>Morphine and other opioids are vital to treat severe and chronic pain. However, they have two problems — prolonged use creates morphine tolerance, where ever-increasing doses are needed for the same pain relief, and paradoxically, prolonged use also can create an extreme sensitivity to pain, called hyperalgesia. Researchers now have shown that blocking the activity of an enzyme called Tiam1 in certain spinal neurons abrogates morphine tolerance and hyperalgesia in a mouse model. Their work highlights Tiam1-mediated maladaptive neural plasticity as a promising therapeutic target to reduce tolerance and prolong the usefulness of morphine for pain relief.</p>
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