Opioid Addiction: RNA Biology, Brain Inflammation & Psychedelic Therapy | Ep 280

Feb 19, 2026

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Gene regulation through RNAs, the neurobiology of opioid addiction, and how psychedelics affect drug-seeking by modulating inflammation and plasticity. Not medical advice.

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

Gene regulation basics: DNA transcribes to RNAs, including non-coding types like microRNAs that inhibit mRNA translation into proteins, influencing up to 60% of the proteome.
Non-coding RNAs in neuroplasticity: MicroRNAs and circular RNAs regulate synaptic changes, with activity-induced ones like miR-485-5p linked to rapid responses in drug cue memory and addiction reinforcement.
Opioid addiction models: Rats self-administer heroin or fentanyl via levers, showing compulsive seeking; fentanyl’s higher potency drives faster learning but similar long-term effects to heroin when doses are equated.
Differences between opioids: Heroin and fentanyl both activate mu-opioid receptors for euphoria and dopamine release, but fentanyl lingers longer; no major behavioral differences in seeking once potency is matched.
Psilocybin’s effects on addiction: A single psilocybin dose post-abstinence reduces heroin-seeking in rats by dampening neuroinflammation in brain regions like the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex.
Brain Inflammation: Opioids induce pro-inflammatory changes via cytokines like IL-17A and pathways like TNF-alpha, leading to glial activation and blood-brain barrier leaks; psilocybin counters this.
MicroRNA biomarkers: Blood microRNAs reflect gene expression patterns tied to disease states, with potential to predict opioid relapse risk, treatment response, or neonatal withdrawal severity non-invasively.
Future research: Ongoing work links psilocybin’s serotonin 2A activation to anti-inflammatory gene changes, plus human studies on microRNAs for personalized addiction treatments.

ABOUT THE GUEST: Stephanie Daws, PhD is an associate professor at Temple University in the Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Neurosciences, where she researches mechanisms of drug-seeking behavior with a focus on opioids and psychedelics.

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