Having a pill that alleviates chronic pain without adverse side effects or the risk of addiction remains an unmet pharmaceutical need for millions of people currently using traditional opioid drugs.

University of Florida scientists have helped identify a novel drug compound that selectively activates pain-altering receptors in the body, offering a potentially safer alternative to conventional ...

Fentanyl, a mu-opioid receptor agonist, is one of the most commonly used analgesics in hospitals, and may induce long-lasting behavioral and somatosensory impairment in rodents. However, whether the ...

Researchers identified the structure of an opioid receptor in the brain during active engagement with a drug molecule. The discovery could facilitate the creation of safer and more effective opioid ...

Scientists are racing to redesign how powerful painkillers work, aiming to keep the relief that opioids provide while stripping away the worst dangers of addiction and overdose. Instead of tweaking ...

Scientists have known for decades that opioids relieve pain by binding to molecular switches in the brain called mu-opioid (pronounced "mew-opioid") receptors. What they didn't know - until now - was ...

University of Florida scientists have helped identify a novel drug compound that selectively activates pain-altering receptors in the body, offering a potentially safer alternative to conventional ...