Opioids interfere with cancer immunotherapy, but another type of drug could help

Opioids are often first-line treatments for cancer-related pain, but they can suppress the immune system and reduce the effectiveness of immunotherapy. New research from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center found that a type of drug called peripherally restricted OPRM1 antagonists (PAMORAs) blocked opioid-induced immunosuppression and improved response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a mouse model of head and neck cancer.

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