Scientists can now block heroin, morphine addiction
43 replies, posted
[QUOTE=News;37218160]In a major breakthrough, an international team of scientists has proven that addiction to morphine and heroin can be blocked, while at the same time increasing pain relief.
The team from the University of Adelaide and University of Colorado has discovered the key mechanism in the body's immune system that amplifies addiction to opioid drugs.
Laboratory studies have shown that the drug (+)-naloxone will selectively block the immune-addiction response.
The results - which could eventually lead to new co-formulated drugs that assist patients with severe pain, as well as helping heroin users to kick the habit - will be published tomorrow in the Journal of Neuroscience.
"Our studies have shown conclusively that we can block addiction via the immune system of the brain, without targeting the brain's wiring," says the lead author of the study, Dr Mark Hutchinson, ARC Research Fellow in the University of Adelaide's School of Medical Sciences.
"Both the central nervous system and the immune system play important roles in creating addiction, but our studies have shown we only need to block the immune response in the brain to prevent cravings for opioid drugs."
The team has focused its research efforts on the immune receptor known as Toll-Like receptor 4 (TLR4).
"Opioid drugs such as morphine and heroin bind to TLR4 in a similar way to the normal immune response to bacteria. The problem is that TLR4 then acts as an amplifier for addiction," Dr Hutchinson says.
"The drug (+)-naloxone automatically shuts down the addiction. It shuts down the need to take opioids, it cuts out behaviours 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."
Senior author Professor Linda Watkins, from the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder, says: "This work fundamentally changes what we understand about opioids, reward and addiction. We've suspected for some years that TLR4 may be the key to blocking opioid addiction, but now we have the proof.
"The drug that we've used to block addiction, (+)-naloxone, is a non-opioid mirror image drug that was created by Dr Kenner Rice in the 1970s. We believe this will prove extremely useful as a co-formulated drug with morphine, so that patients who require relief for severe pain will not become addicted but still receive pain relief . This has the potential to lead to major advances in patient and palliative care," Professor Watkins says.
The researchers say clinical trials may be possible within the next 18 months.
This study has been funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in the United States and the Australian Research Council (ARC).
To watch a video of Dr Mark Hutchinson talking about this study, please visit the University of Adelaide's YouTube page: [url]http://youtu.be/LTd91tYoqBM[/url][/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news55261.html[/url]
Cool, from my uni too
wooohoo time to get high
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;37246751]wooohoo time to get high[/QUOTE]
The drug makes heroin and other opiates no longer able to get you high.
It basically turns those drugs into placebos and removes the whole internal history behind it. You literally cannot get high from those drugs any longer so you cannot become addicted to them. They no longer make you feel good but you are also no longer addicted to them.
This can be a good news to some people and their families. Good work, indeed.
OP why did you link the news quote to this post?
[QUOTE=NachoPiggy;37218160]Damn I want a new time period especially 2142 or even just near future, hell I don't even mind going back to World War 2 or Vietnam. :([/QUOTE]
You know you can just write [QUOTE=Name here]?
[QUOTE=Loriborn;37246761]The drug makes heroin and other opiates no longer able to get you high.
It basically turns those drugs into placebos and removes the whole internal history behind it. You literally cannot get high from those drugs any longer so you cannot become addicted to them. They no longer make you feel good but you are also no longer addicted to them.[/QUOTE]
No.
[quote]The results - which could eventually lead to new co-formulated drugs that assist patients with severe pain, as well as helping heroin users to kick the habit - will be published tomorrow in the Journal of Neuroscience.[/quote]
I would get fuuuucking high for a few days, and when shit would start getting nasty, I would get off that crap with less horrible withdrawal effects.
[QUOTE=mac338;37246788]OP why did you link the news quote to this post?
You know you can just write [QUOTE=Name here]?[/QUOTE]
I do now also that didn't quote properly lol
[editline]15th August 2012[/editline]
holy fuck this is trippy
[QUOTE=WhatAmI;37246802][QUOTE=mac338;37246788]OP why did you link the news quote to this post?
[QUOTE=NachoPiggy;37218160]Damn I want a new time period especially 2142 or even just near future, hell I don't even mind going back to World War 2 or Vietnam. :([/QUOTE]
You know you can just write
[quote=Name here]?[/quote][/QUOTE]
I do now also that didn't quote properly lol[/QUOTE]
Closing tags mate. :v:
This is huge news
[img]http://i.ytimg.com/vi/q649LoopCJw/0.jpg[/img]
[i][B]"THAT WAS WAY TOO FUCKING CLOSE. WE NEED TO REEVALUATE MEASURES AND START TARGETING THE SCIENTISTS."[/B][/i]
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;37246794]No.
I would get fuuuucking high for a few days, and when shit would start getting nasty, I would get off that crap with less horrible withdrawal effects.[/QUOTE]
You could just not take a dangerous and highly addictive opiate in the first place considering I'm more than positive that when this does hit the market, they won't be giving it away like candy and with current healthcare systems, they'll refuse to give you any if you're a repeat customer.
Good news however what they should really do now is regulate the sale of those two things instead of "banning" them so that people stop dying from contaminates, dirty paraphernalia, and other black market side effects.
Heroin is actually a really safe drug providing you know the strength of what you're getting and your dosage, that it isn't contaminated, and that you use clean needles which are not shared. The addiction side would be resolved by this and it being available for a regulated price would prevent assossiated property theft. If they don't want to give up then with a regular dosage a heroin addict can still function pretty normally after it has worn off and can still work/play/do whatever they want to do with their day. There have been plenty of medical professionals that have taken advantage of easy access to opiates and experienced little harm when used correctly with dosage maintained.
This opens up new opportunities to study psychological addiction independently from physiological addiction.
[QUOTE=Loriborn;37246761]The drug makes heroin and other opiates no longer able to get you high.
It basically turns those drugs into placebos and removes the whole internal history behind it. You literally cannot get high from those drugs any longer so you cannot become addicted to them. They no longer make you feel good but you are also no longer addicted to them.[/QUOTE]
What about this line though "We believe this will prove extremely useful as a co-formulated drug with morphine, so that patients who require relief for severe pain will not become addicted but still receive pain relief ."
eh? i thought this has been around for years for use in heroin overdoses etc
It seems like it is a different form of naloxone
I'm pretty sure my dad is working with these guys on this. He was doing conferences about naxolene.
[QUOTE=Mlisen14;37247560]I'm pretty sure my dad is working with these guys on this. He was doing conferences about naxolene.[/QUOTE]
that's pretty cool
[QUOTE=Stormcharger;37247200]What about this line though "We believe this will prove extremely useful as a co-formulated drug with morphine, so that patients who require relief for severe pain will not become addicted but still receive pain relief ."[/QUOTE]
You don't have to get high to relieve pain. The regular pain meds don't get you high, yet they do relieve pain.
I would have thought if the meds had opiates in them as a core active component you could use them to get high
[QUOTE=Fear_Fox;37247876]You don't have to get high to relieve pain. The regular pain meds don't get you high, yet they do relieve pain.[/QUOTE]
Yea thats because they arent opiates, you cant block just the good stuff and leave the pain relief there it doesnt work like that, this just stops you from being addicted
[QUOTE=Fear_Fox;37247876]You don't have to get high to relieve pain. The regular pain meds don't get you high, yet they do relieve pain.[/QUOTE]
Uh I don't think you have a proper concept of how these drugs work.
"regular pain meds" are not opiates. They are NSAIDs like paracetamol and the like. They are also, shit tier for pain relief.
Codeine on the other hand, is an opiate, is very effective for pain relief and yes, you do get high while you using it. There is no pharmacological difference between pain relief and "high", just your perception of the effects.
Yay science.
Suddenly, and influx of people who know nothing about opiates try to post here. I suggest you read up on my opiates megathread, so some of you don't sound so dumb.
[url]http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1203655[/url]
[QUOTE=jakedog;37252256]Suddenly, and influx of people who know nothing about opiates try to post here. I suggest you read up on my opiates megathread, so some of you don't sound so dumb.
[url]http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1203655[/url][/QUOTE]
Thread doesn't have desomorphine or any of the RC opiates not megathread
Article is a bit shit as it doesn't really mention what's different about this naloxone trial compared to the previous ones but that's probably because the actual information is in the journal publishing oh well
[QUOTE=jakedog;37252256]Suddenly, and influx of people who know nothing about opiates try to post here. I suggest you read up on my opiates megathread, so some of you don't sound so dumb.
[url]http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1203655[/url][/QUOTE]
I'm totally going to believe a junkie about how teh gubermint iz keping u down by banning addictive drugs that might kill you and ruin your life
have fun getting AIDS and dying in a ditch/OD'ing and drowning in your own puke on the floor
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Flaming" - Ninja101))[/highlight]
Those are all effects of prohibition, not the drug :P
[QUOTE=Callius;37252372]Thread doesn't have desomorphine or any of the RC opiates not megathread
Article is a bit shit as it doesn't really mention what's different about this naloxone trial compared to the previous ones but that's probably because the actual information is in the journal publishing oh well[/QUOTE]
I made it keeping in mind DD has a pretty small niche of opiate users. I browse /opi/ a lot and I've never heard of an opiate Rc. I think it's better like that because it's all shit that people actually could get their hands on. Your complaint sounds to me like someone saying "elbows too point 0/10 would not fuck"
[QUOTE=JustExtreme;37252494]Those are all effects of prohibition, not the drug :P[/QUOTE]
Nah
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