Discovery at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences has implications on regulating opioid addiction
Research by the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem unveiled insights into the brain’s potential ability to regulate the urge to consume the highly addictive opioid fentanyl. By activating or deactivating claustral neurons- -a curtain of brain cells sitting under the cortex– the frontal region of the brain can take full control or lose self-control on fentanyl intake.
Discovered in 1950, fentanyl is an opioid drug primarily used as an analgesic. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and has since 2010 become the main contributor to more than 100,000 annual drug overdose deaths in the USA alone.
Prof. Ami Citri, the lead investigator from the Center for Brain Sciences, expressed enthusiasm about the study’s potential implications, stating, “Our findings shed light on the intricate relationship between the brain and fentanyl consumption. Understanding the role of claustral neurons in regulating the urge to consume opioids offers a new avenue for interventions aimed at curbing addiction.”
Read more in the media:
- Israel 21C
- Times of Israel (in French)
- Reach MD
Read the full study.
