An Eye on Opioids

Abstract

What do opioids have to do with ophthalmology? With recent developments in DNA research and gene modification, perhaps more than you might imagine. Naturally occurring opioids have been found in the DNA of certain milk cows, and it appears possible that the type of gene mutation that produces the opioid effect in milk and meat may also produce genetic abnormalities in the human genome, leading to hereditary ophthalmic syndromes, and diseases such as autism, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and other chronic diseases. The identification, isolation, and subsequent modification of these genes would appear to be a step toward the eradication of the diseases associated with them.