Genetic Polymorphisms of OPRTM1 Are Attractive to Clinical Pain Therapy

Abstract

Pharmacological actions of the opioid system which controls pain, reward and addictive behaviors are through three opioid receptors, including mu-opioid receptors (MORs). The OPRM1 encoding MOR-1, one of three known variants of the MORs, spans over 250 kb on chromosome 6q. Genetic polymorphisms of OPRM1 are practically diverse across human races and an A1I8G transition, the most prevalent single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in OPRMI, is associated with many clinical findings. To promote further investigation of an association of OPRM1 mutations with altered opioid effects, we progressively reviewed advanced reports for its polymorphisms within recent years. In conclusion, with the current information available, the addition of more OPRM1 polymorphisms in the context of ethnic differences should be investigated. New and easy detection methods for SNPs of OPRM1 are helpful for rapid high-throughput scanning. It appears that the development of pharmacogenetically guided pain therapy will be more obvious when the complete and clear OPRM1 genotype addresses.