Opioid Research: Methods and Protocols

Opioid research has grown enormously over the last decade, and with it, the need to apply multiple techniques from a variety of disciplines. In Opioid Research: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers and physicians provide a comprehensive collection of the major cross-disciplinary methods and protocols used in current opioid research, covering topics from molecular and genetic techniques, to behavioral analyses of animal models, to clinical practices. The well-practiced authors describe their best molecular techniques for the cloning and expression of opioid receptors, and for the quantitative characterization of their signaling pathways, as well as for mapping the distribution and detecting the expression levels of opioid receptors, opioid peptides, and their messages, in both brain tissues and individual cells. Also included are methods for the creation of in vitro and in vivo animal models to study opioid functions, as well as the clinical applications in the treatment of pain and opioid addiction. Each proven technique contains step-by-step instructions, explanations of the basic science involved, and notes on avoiding pitfalls. Comprehensive and authoritative, Opioid Research: Methods and Protocols offers researchers an indispensable guide to all the major multidisciplinary techniques needed for successful research in opioid biology and medicine today.