Zoe McElligott, PhD, Associate Professor in Pharmacology, was one of three UNC addiction medicine researchers featured in Vital Signs. This translational research team is battling the opioid epidemic by analyzing the ever-changing composition of street drugs and testing how emerging drug combination such as xylazine and fentanyl interact in rodent models.
“Treating addiction with evidence-based medications is the most powerful way to prevent overdose deaths, HIV and hepatitis infection, and drug-related crime. The problem is, we currently lack a full understanding of how xylazine and fentanyl interact in the body and brain. Dr. Robyn Jordan, Director of UNC Addiction Medicine Program and NCSAM Chapter President, says “We think xylazine is here to stay.” Dr. Jordan, partnered with Dr. Zoe McElligott.”
“For several years I have studied how opioids can regulate the α2-adrenergic receptor system, the addition of xylazine to the drug supply complicates this picture in our models, because these two receptor systems are now engaged at the same time, and indeed there are neurons in the brain that express both α2-adrenergic receptors and opioid receptors. My team is already obtaining results with our investigations of xylazine that are surprising and providing novel insights into how these substances may interact with neural systems to alter the clinical landscape. We are continuing to collect data, and hope to share our findings very soon.” ~Dr. Zoe McElligott