Therapy with Naltrexone Promotes Mucosal Healing in Active Crohn’s Disease.pdf

Therapy with Naltrexone Promotes Mucosal Healing in Active Crohn’s Disease
A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Jill P. Smith
David T. Mauger
Sandra I. Bingaman
Aparna Mukherjee
Christopher O. McGovern
Francesca Ruggiero
Ian S. Zagon

This brief presentation represents a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study was designed to test the efficacy and safety of an opioid antagonist for 12 weeks in adults with active Crohn’s disease.
The trial was based on the following: endogenous opioid peptides have been shown to play a role in the development and/or perpetuation of inflammation. Hence, the hypothesis that the endogenous opioid system is involved in inflammatory bowel disease, and antagonism of the opioid–opioid receptor will lead to reversal of inflammation.