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Historical review: Opioid receptors
Solomon H Snyder1, Gavril W Pasternak
1Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. ssnyder@jhmi.edu
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
|April 23, 2003
Summary
Early molecular studies of opioid receptors in the 1970s utilized ligand binding techniques. This research established methods for studying brain neurotransmitter receptors and aided drug development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The 1970s marked the beginning of the modern era in molecular studies of neurotransmitter and drug receptors.
- Opioid receptor research was foundational in developing techniques for studying brain receptors.
Observation:
- Receptor identification was achieved through ligand binding techniques.
- Sodium ions and other substances helped differentiate between agonist and antagonist interactions.
- Opioid receptor localization studies clarified the pharmacological effects of opiate drugs.
Findings:
- Ligand binding techniques provided a sensitive and specific method for opioid receptor investigation.
- High-throughput binding assays accelerated drug development in the pharmaceutical sector.
- Differential drug binding interactions led to the discovery of opioid receptor subtypes.
- Endogenous opioid peptides were identified and isolated through studies of receptor binding and smooth muscle pharmacology.
Implications:
- Established a paradigm for studying principal neurotransmitter receptors in the brain.
- Facilitated advancements in pharmaceutical drug development.
- Elucidated the mechanisms of ligand recognition and signal transduction.
- Advanced understanding of opiate drug actions and the discovery of endogenous opioid systems.