Medical research

Discovery suggests route to safer pain medications

Strategies to treat pain without triggering dangerous side effects such as euphoria and addiction have proven elusive. For decades, scientists have attempted to develop drugs that selectively activate one type of opioid receptor ...

Neuroscience

Blunting pain's emotional component

Chronic pain involves more than just hurting. People suffering from pain often experience sadness, depression and lethargy. That's one reason opioids can be so addictive—they not only dampen the pain but also make people ...

Medical research

Scientists take a big step toward building a better opioid

For the first time, scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and collaborators solved the crystal structure of the activated kappa opioid receptor bound to a morphine derivative. They then created ...

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