Janus LAAM-loaded electrospun fibrous buccal films for treating opioid use disorder.

The opioid crisis has claimed approximately one million lives in the United States since 1999, underscoring a significant public health concern. This surge in opioid use disorder (OUD) fatalities necessitates improved therapeutic options. Current OUD therapies often require daily clinical visits, leading to poor patient compliance and high costs to the health systems.

Divergent Effects of Ketamine and the Serotoninergic Psychedelic 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Iodoamphetamine on Hippocampal Plasticity and Metaplasticity.

Introduction: Serotonergic psychedelics and ketamine produce rapid and long-lasting symptomatic relief in multiple psychiatric disorders. Evidence suggests that despite having distinct molecular targets, both drugs may exert therapeutic benefit via their pro-neuroplastic effects. Following treatment with ketamine or serotonergic psychedelics, patients are reported to be more open to behavioral change, which is leveraged for psychotherapy-assisted reframing of narratives of the self.

Effects of the kappa-opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine on methamphetamine-vs-food choice in male rhesus monkeys.

Background: Kappa-opioid receptors (KOR) are hypothesized to be involved in mediating ongoing methamphetamine self-administration. Previous rat studies have demonstrated that treatment with the KOR antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI) decreases methamphetamine self-administration. However, KOR antagonist effects on methamphetamine self-administration in nonhuman primates are unknown.

Revalidation of Proactive Gastrostomy Tube Placement Guidelines for Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Helical Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy.

The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) Swallowing and Nutrition Management Guidelines for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer were developed to enable evidence-based decision-making by the Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Team (H&N MDT) regarding enteral nutrition support options. The purpose of this study was to revalidate these guidelines in a cohort of patients receiving helical intensity-modulated radiotherapy (H-IMRT) compared to a historical cohort who received primarily 3D-conformal radiotherapy. Eligible patients attending the RBWH H&N MDT between 2013 and 2014 (n = 315) were assessed by the guidelines, with high-risk patients being recommended proactive gastrostomy tube placement.

The function of the ZFP189 transcription factor in the nucleus accumbens facilitates cocaine-specific transcriptional and behavioral adaptations.

Distinguishing the brain mechanisms affected by distinct addictive drugs may inform targeted therapies against specific substance use disorders (SUDs). Here, we explore the function of a drug-associated, transcriptionally repressive transcription factor (TF), ZFP189, whose expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) facilitates cocaine-induced molecular and behavioral adaptations. To uncover the necessity of ZFP189-mediated transcriptional control in driving cocaine-induced behaviors, we created synthetic ZFP189 TFs of distinct transcriptional function, including ZFP189, which activates the expression of target genes and exerts opposite transcriptional control to the endogenously repressive ZFP189.