The neural circuits and signalling pathways of opioid use disorder

This review, written by our two researchers, Emmanuel DARCQ and Victor MATHIS, in collaboration with Aliza EHRLICH, highlights recent advances in our understanding of opioid receptors and the neural circuits in which they operate (including the broad network of circuits involved in reward and relief processing), focusing on the changes that follow long-term opioid exposure, abstinence, and withdrawal. Additionally, these researchers discuss recent findings that highlight the importance of the local cellular environment in shaping responses to these drugs.