Quality of Life in Hematologic Cancer Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial of Low Dose Naltrexone Versus Placebo (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Naltrexone is a main drug for treatment of addiction and acts by blocking opioid receptors in brain. The drug can inhibit secretion of opioids in both brain and adrenal glands (beta endorphins and enkefalins). Many tissues including almost all the immune cells have receptors for endorphins and enkefalins. In mid 1990 investigators showed that the Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) has a dramatic therapeutic effect on different cancers such as lymphoma and pancreatic cancer as well as autoimmune disorders (1). Until now the incredible effects of naltrexone in many chronic conditions and immune disorders is confirmed (2-5). It is believed that endorphins (internal opioids) have a central role in immune system and preclinical investigations showed positive effect of opioids in growth development and immune cell function. Meanwhile it is under discussion that brief and short time blocking of opioid receptors by low dose naltrexone cause positive regulation of immune system via compensatory increase in enkefalins and endorphins. This was demonstrated in volunteers who had been prescribed low dose naltrexone and showed that they have had upper levels of endorphins compared with other people (6), (7). The low dose naltrexone has even been effective in neuro-psychiatric disorders like childhood autism and anxiety disorders (8), (9).