AUTHOR=Churchill Caroline C. , Peterson Cristina D. , Kitto Kelley F. , Pflepsen Kelsey R. , Belur Lalitha R. , McIvor R. Scott , Vulchanova Lucy , Wilcox George L. , Fairbanks Carolyn A. 

TITLE=Adeno-associated virus-mediated gene transfer of arginine decarboxylase to the central nervous system prevents opioid analgesic tolerance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pain Research

VOLUME=Volume 4 - 2023

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pain-research/articles/10.3389/fpain.2023.1269017

DOI=10.3389/fpain.2023.1269017

ISSN=2673-561X

ABSTRACT=Agmatine, a decarboxylated metabolite of L-arginine, prevents opioid analgesic tolerance, dependence, and self-administration when given by both central and systemic routes of delivery.Agmatine and its presumptive synthetic ezyme, arginine decarboxylase (ADC) are detected in spinal cord and brain. The presence of a biochemical pathway for agmatine synthesis from L-arginine offers the opportunity for increased production of agmatine for local therapeutic delivery to regions where opioid analgesic tolerance arises. We report here the effects of adeno-associated virus (AAV)mediated gene transfer of human ADC (hADC) in models of opioid-induced analgesic tolerance (e.g.