New molecular probes for opioid receptors

Strong painkillers are very important in the management of patients with cancer and heart attack or requiring surgery. They extert their effect by binding to so-called opioid receptors in the body.

Next-generation single-dose antidotes for opioid overdoses

The U.S. opioid epidemic is being driven by an unprecedented surge in deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opiates. Fentanyl's powerful effects are long-lasting, and even tiny amounts of the drug can lead to an overdose. ...

CryoEM study captures opioid signaling in the act

Opioid drugs like morphine and fentanyl are a mainstay of modern pain medicine. But they also cause constipation, are highly addictive, and can lead to fatal respiratory failure if taken at too high a dose. Scientists have ...

How computers are searching for drugs of the future

Drug discovery may bring to mind images of white lab coats and pipettes, but when Henry Lin, PhD, recently set out to find a better opioid with fewer side effects, his first step was to fire up the computers.

New study brings medicine closer to non-addictive painkillers

Powerful opiate drugs are a mainstay in modern medicine, alleviating pain in both acute and chronic forms. These charms however, bear a curse. Users quickly develop tolerance to their effects, requiring ever-increasing doses ...

A cyborg sensor that could unlock anesthesia's secrets

(Phys.org) —Almost every biological process involves sensing the presence of a certain chemical. Finely tuned over millions of years of evolution, the body's different receptors are shaped to accept certain target chemicals. ...

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