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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 &mdash; 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&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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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