Patricia J. McLaughlin
Department of Neural & Behavioral Sciences,
500 University Drive, MCH109, Hershey, PA 17033-0850
Tanzania
Review Article
Endogenous Opioids and the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
Author(s): Ian S. Zagon and Patricia J. McLaughlinIan S. Zagon and Patricia J. McLaughlin
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system that affects approximately 400,000
people in the United States and 2 million individuals worldwide. The disease is chronic, often progressive, and
manifests through proliferation and activation of T-lymphocytes and astrocytes, resulting in demyelination and
axonal damage. Approved therapies are interferon-based or involve T-cell immune modulators; however, many
treatments have unacceptable side-effects, are cost-prohibitive, and/or require clinical visits for administration. There
is an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies that are non-toxic and readily available. The regulatory pathway
involving opioid growth factor (OGF) and its nuclear-associated receptor, OGFr, is involved in several autoimmune
diseases including multiple sclerosis. The OGF-OGFr axis ap.. View More»
