Neuroinflammation May Indeed Be a Major Player in Opioid Use Disorder in Humans Comment

Article Neurosciences

Transcriptional Alterations in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens Implicate Neuroinflammation and Synaptic Remodeling in Opioid Use Disorder

Marianne L. Seney et al.

Summary: The study utilized RNA sequencing to analyze brain regions in subjects with OUD, identifying gene transcription related to synaptic remodeling and neuroinflammation. Microglia were implicated as a potential driver for opioid-induced neuroplasticity, with genetic liabilities for risky behavior, ADHD, and depression found in individuals with OUD.

BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY (2021)

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Review Immunology

Microglia, Cytokines, and Neural Activity: Unexpected Interactions in Brain Development and Function

Austin Ferro et al.

Summary: Emerging evidence suggests that immune signaling molecules, such as cytokines, play specialized roles in the brain that are influenced by neural activity, which reflects active communication between neurons at synapses. Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, respond to changes in activity by engaging inflammatory signaling cascades to regulate synaptic assembly, remodeling, and elimination. Understanding how cytokine function is established and maintained in the brain could provide key insights into neurological health and disease.

FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY (2021)

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Article Medicine, General & Internal