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 ...

Scientists have known for decades that opioids relieve pain by binding to molecular switches in the brain called mu-opioid receptors. What they didn't know—until now—was exactly what happens next. A ...

Two different versions of the mu-opioid receptor within a cellular membrane illustrate how the receptor changes its conformation to send a signal into the cell. Scientists captured six high-resolution ...

Chronic pain is one of the most common and expensive health problems in the nation, affecting an estimated one in five U.S. adults and costing around $600 billion each year in medical expenses, lost ...

A novel compound strongly improves the efficacy of naloxone, the substance used to reverse overdoses of morphine, fentanyl and other opioid drugs. When administered to mice along with naloxone, it is ...

One of the greatest revolutions in the field of pain medication was the isolation of morphine from the opium poppy in the 19th century. Morphine molecules act as painkillers by attaching themselves to ...

Duke University researchers have devised a promising, potent pain reliever — seemingly without the harmful side effects and addictive highs of opioids. While opioids interact with numerous cellular ...

New research suggests that δ-receptor agonists regulate intestinal motility and relieve abdominal pain in a mouse model of irritable bowel syndrome, potentially offering a novel CNS-targeted treatment ...

Having shown last week that its opioid alternative can reduce post-surgery pain, Tris Pharma is back with another slice of clinical data to show that the drug is less likely to be abused. The phase 1 ...

Tris Pharma has pointed to a phase 3 win for its pain relief drug as demonstrating the candidate’s potential to help resolve the opioid crisis. The company tested cebranopadol, a dual ...

Brain volume and function are altered in individuals with opioid use disorder, a new Yale study finds. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI (fMRI), researchers observed the ...