NIH R01 · 2024
Identification of allosteric molecules for DOR-KOR heteromer-mediated peripheral analgesia
Current clinically prescribed analgesics target mu opioid receptors within the CNS and can produce dangerous and often lethal adverse effects, including respiratory depression and addiction. Importantly, these analgesics are principally responsible for precipitating the opioid crisis, which has only worsened with the SARS- CoV-2 pandemic. Thus, alternative approaches for treatment of pain are badly needed. As evidenced by the efficacy of local anesthetics, a promising approach to treat pain is to inhibit peripheral pain-sensing neurons (nociceptors) that mediate pain neurotransmission. We have found that delta opioid receptor (DOR)-kappa opioid receptor (KOR) heteromers are expressed and…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.