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Updated: Jan 28, 2026

A BW Reporter System for Studying Receptor-Ligand Interactions
Published on: January 7, 2019
Bifunctional opioid receptor ligands as novel analgesics
Christopher W Cunningham1, Waleed M Elballa1, Stephanie U Vold1
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, WI, USA.
Abstract:
Prolonged treatment of chronic severe pain with opioid analgesics is frought with problematic adverse effects including tolerance, dependence, and life-threatening respiratory depression. Though these effects are mediated predominately through preferential activation of μ opioid peptide (μOP) receptors, there is an emerging appreciation that actions at κOP and δOP receptors contribute to the observed pharmacologic and behavioral profile of μOP receptor agonists and may be targeted simultaneously to afford improved analgesic effects. Recent developments have also identified the related nociceptin opioid peptide (NOP) receptor as a key modulator of the effects of μOP receptor signaling. We review here the available literature describing OP neurotransmitter systems and highlight recent drug and probe design strategies.
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