The CIHR Project Grant program chose projects led by Drs. Sabine Gilch, PhD, Tuan Trang, PhD, and Patrick Whelan, PhD, all researchers in the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM).
The opium poppy is a natural source of opioids such as morphine. Although they are revered for their potent pain-relieving effects, when used chronically, opioids can lead to analgesic tolerance, hyperalgesia and withdrawal. Burma et al. (p 355) show that pannexin-1 (Panx1) channels on spinal microglia are essential for opioid withdrawal, and that Read more…
Opioids are the mainstay of treatment strategies to reduce pain, but withdrawal can be a serious problem when patients stop taking these drugs. However, beyond the recognition that microglia play a role in this phenomenon, little is known about the cellular mechanisms involved. Now, new research shows how microglia contribute to withdrawal in rodents and identifies a potential path toward easing withdrawal in patients.
Tuan Trang (Award in Pain Recipient) began his research career as an undergraduate at Queen’s University studying the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure.
