Preclinical evidence of new opioid modulators for the treatment of addiction.
BACKGROUND
Addiction to opiates is one of the most severe forms of substance dependence, and despite a variety of pharmacological approaches to treat it, relapse is observed in a high percentage of subjects. New pharmacological compounds are necessary to improve the outcome of treatments and reduce adverse side effects. Moreover, drugs that act on the opioid system can also be of benefit in the treatment of alcohol or cocaine addiction. AREA COVERED BY THIS REVIEW: Recent preclinical studies of pharmacological agents for the treatment of opiate addiction (2008 to the present date).


RESULTS
The reader will be informed of the latest drugs shown in animal models to modify dependence on opiates and the reinforcing effects of these drugs. In addition, reports of the latest studies to test these compounds in models of other drug addictions are reviewed.


CONCLUSIONS
The classic clinical pharmacotherapy for opiate dependence, involving mu-opioid receptor agonists or antagonists, has not yielded a high success rate in humans. In pharmacotherapy for opioid dependence, new options are emerging and different pharmacological strategies are now being tested.
Rodríguez-Arias
Marta
M
Facultad de Psicología, Departamento de Psicobiología, Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 21, Valencia, Spain.
Aguilar
María Asunción
MA
Manzanedo
Carmen
C
Miñarro
José
J
D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D000818:Animals; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D018682:GABA Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D051381:Rats; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism*; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy
D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018682:GABA Agents; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu