The United States is currently experiencing an opioid epidemic, with more than 2.1 million people suffering from substance use disorders involving opioids. While politicians scramble to find answers, a new study may have found a solution to opioid epidemic using stem cells. This discovery may help opioid users become less tolerant to opioids, helping them reduce the dosages of the drugs they are taking.

The opioid epidemic is particularly bad in states like Pennsylvania, where many residents have severe addictions and often turn to heroin. The Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, has declared a state of emergency in the state. In the declaration he wrote: “Pennsylvania’s opioid crisis impacts all areas of the state – including urban, suburban and rural communities and all ages including both young people and older Pennsylvanians – and is unprejudiced in its reach and devastation.”

The United States federal government created an opioid commission to discover new ways to tackle the problem. The commission suggested that further funding for additional treatment, restrictions on opioid prescriptions and new non-opioid drugs may be the answer.

The challenge of dealing with opioid addiction is two-fold. Opioids are very addictive painkillers that are frequently prescribed by doctors. It is also very easy for users to build up a tolerance to opioids. They require higher and higher doses to achieve the same pain relieving affect — which also increases their addiction very quickly. People who are suffering from chronic pain can become addicted to opioids in a matter of weeks.

Researchers from China are using stem cells to develop a solution to the opioid crisis. Scientists working at the Cleveland Clinic and the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University in China believe they can reverse opioid tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Using stem cells can reduce inflammation in the body and change how the body reacts to opioids.

They have already tested their stem cell therapy on mice. They found that morphine-addicted mice lost their opioid tolerance within a few days. The researchers found that using stem cells in this way was completely safe. The results of the trial may lead to a cure for opioid addition that saves the lives of millions of people worldwide.

Source: How Stem Cells Can Reverse Opioid Tolerance

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