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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2010, 12, 4 (pages: 23 - 32)

On opioid receptors

Vendramin A., Sciacchitano A.

Summary: The system of opioid receptors is characterized by a high level of complexity and has received much attention from scientists all over the world. The aim of this article is to describe the present, updated situation regarding scientific knowledge on the subject. Each opioid receptor is distributed in CNS in a distinctive way. Some regions (striate body and dorsal horns of spinal medulla) indicate the three receptor types, although not necessarily in the same neurons. Conversely, other regions, such as the thalamic nucleus for µ or the claustrum for k, show various sites for a single type of receptor. Each receptor is involved in functions that are implemented along different paths and extensions. At present, it seems clear that the role of each receptor in mediating biological actions or physiological effects needs to be deepened using methodologies that differ from the classic ones. It can now be predicted that molecular cloning, re-combining DNA, antisense holigonucleotides, knockout and knockdown techniques will soon make it possible to understand many of the problems which make this system so ‘complicated'.