Single cell transcriptomics reveals opioid usage evokes widespread suppression of antiviral gene program
Tanya T Karagiannis1,2, John P Cleary2,3, Busra Gok2,4
1Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, 24 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
Nature Communications
|May 28, 2020
Summary
Chronic opioid use suppresses the immune system by inhibiting antiviral gene programs in monocytes and other immune cells. This effect occurs with both long-term use and short-term morphine exposure, impacting immune defenses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Opioid addiction affects the central nervous system.
- Opioid use also impacts the peripheral immune system.
- Systematic characterization of opioid's immune modulation is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To unbiasedly characterize the immune modulatory effects of chronic opioid usage.
- To investigate the impact of acute opioid exposure on immune cell function.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
- Samples were analyzed from individuals with opioid dependence and healthy controls.
- Immune cell responses were assessed after lipopolysaccharide stimulation and in vitro morphine treatment.
Main Results:
- Chronic opioid use suppressed antiviral gene programs in naive monocytes.
- Suppression of antiviral gene programs was observed in multiple immune cell types post-lipopolysaccharide stimulation.
- In vitro morphine treatment also led to the suppression of antiviral gene programs.
Conclusions:
- Both acute and chronic opioid exposure can harm the immune system by suppressing antiviral responses.
- Further research into opioid's immune modulatory effects is crucial for clinical safety.
- Opioid-induced immune suppression may compromise the body's ability to fight infections.
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