Subarachnoid Adrenal Medullary Transplants for Terminal Cancer Pain A Report of Preliminary Studies

Background: The prolonged use of opioids to treat intractable pain with currently available therapeutic modalities is often unsatisfactory, usually because of tolerance or complications. Extensive studies carried out in the authors'laboratories have indicated that the transplantation of adrenal medullary tissue into the spinal subarachnoid space can significantly reduce pain in animal pain models, most likely via release of opioid peptides and catecholamines. The current study was undertaken to assess the feasibility and efficacy of subarachnoid adrenal medullary transplantation in alleviating terminal cancer pain in humans