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Related Concept Videos

Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids01:15

Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids

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Synthetic and semisynthetic opioids are pivotal in pain management and tackling opioid addiction. Semisynthetic opioids, including morphinans (morphine derivatives), oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone, have improved pharmacokinetic profiles compared to morphine. Additionally, heroin and 6-MAM (6-Monoacetylmorphine) show better CNS penetration than morphine due to heightened lipid solubility. Hydromorphone, a potent opioid, undergoes hepatic metabolism to form the active...
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Opioid Receptors: Overview01:22

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Opioid receptors, including the mu (μ, MOR), delta (δ, DOR), and kappa (κ, KOR) types, belong to the rhodopsin family of G protein-coupled receptors. These receptors are located throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems and in non-neuronal tissues such as macrophages and astrocytes. Opioid receptor ligands can be categorized into agonists or antagonists. Highly selective agonists include [d-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly(ol)5]-enkephalin or DAMGO for MOR, [D-Pen2,...
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Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners01:20

Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners

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Opioids are a class of drugs that mimic endogenous opioid peptides and act on opioid receptors, and help in pain relief. These compounds are classified as natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic. Natural opioids, like morphine, codeine, and thebaine, are derived from the opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum or Papaver album) and are termed opiates. Synthetic opioids are artificial, while semi-synthetic opioids combine natural and synthetic compounds. Morphine, a prototypical opioid, possesses a...
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Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Opioids as Antidiarrheal Agents01:17

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Opioids as Antidiarrheal Agents

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Diarrhea, a condition marked by frequent loose or watery bowel movements, can be triggered by multiple factors such as viral or bacterial infections, food intolerances, anxiety, medications, and digestive disorders. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and cramping. Severe or prolonged diarrhea can lead to complications like electrolyte imbalances, malnutrition, and dehydration if left untreated.
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Pain01:20

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Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
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Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

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Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
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Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience &#8211; An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
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Capturing Novel Non-opioid Pain Targets.

Clifford J Woolf1

  • 1F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Biological Psychiatry
|August 11, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Discovering novel pain relievers is crucial to combat the opioid crisis. New analgesics, avoiding mu-opioid receptors, offer high efficacy with low addiction risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Management

Background:

  • Opioid medications are effective for pain but drive the opioid crisis due to addiction, tolerance, and dependence.
  • Overreliance on opioids, coupled with overprescription and diversion, exacerbates the public health issue.
  • Replacing opioids requires novel analgesics with high efficacy and reduced adverse effects, particularly abuse potential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To address the opioid crisis by identifying alternative pain management strategies.
  • To explore the discovery of non-opioid analgesics with improved safety profiles.
  • To investigate novel mechanisms for pain relief beyond the mu-opioid receptor.

Main Methods:

  • Understanding the fundamental nature and mechanisms of pain.
Keywords:
AbuseAnalgesiaDrug targetOpioidsPainStem cells

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  • Adopting innovative and unbiased approaches for identifying and validating pain targets.
  • Developing and testing novel analgesic compounds that do not target the mu-opioid receptor.

    • Main Results:

    • The study outlines a strategic approach for developing new pain therapeutics.
    • It emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of pain pathways.
    • Focuses on identifying targets that can yield potent analgesics with low abuse liability.

    Conclusions:

    • A multi-faceted approach is necessary to overcome the opioid crisis.
    • Discovering non-opioid analgesics is paramount for effective and safe pain management.
    • Further research into pain mechanisms and novel target identification is essential.