Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery
09:38

Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery

Published on: April 14, 2016

From single targets to circuits diversified discovery and development strategies towards new paradigms for non-opioid

Xinyu Li1, Peizhi Wang2, Xiaoxia Li1

  • 1Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|July 7, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Safer pain relief is needed due to opioid risks. This review explores new non-opioid analgesics and advanced technologies for developing next-generation pain treatments to combat the opioid crisis.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology and Drug Discovery
  • Pain Management Research
  • Translational Medicine

Background:

  • Long-term opioid use for pain relief presents significant risks, including addiction, respiratory depression, and increased mortality.
  • The urgent need for safer alternatives to manage chronic pain is driven by the ongoing opioid crisis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review recent advancements in non-opioid analgesic research.
  • To explore novel therapeutic targets and cutting-edge technologies for developing next-generation pain therapeutics.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review of non-opioid analgesic strategies.
  • Analysis of diverse therapeutic targets, including ion channels, GPCRs, neuro-immune pathways, and neural circuits.
  • Evaluation of emerging technologies like multi-omics, AI, computational pharmacology, and iPSC/organoid models in drug discovery and preclinical assessment.

Main Results:

  • Identified diverse non-opioid analgesic strategies targeting peripheral and central pain mechanisms.
  • Highlighted the potential of multi-target ligands to enhance efficacy by overcoming signal redundancy.
  • Demonstrated the transformative role of advanced technologies in accelerating target identification, drug screening, and preclinical evaluation.

Conclusions:

  • Integration of systematic interventional strategies with precise technological approaches shows promise for developing safer, effective non-opioid analgesics.
  • Despite challenges in clinical translation and personalized treatment, these advancements offer hope for improved chronic pain management and addressing the opioid crisis.
Keywords:
Chronic painG protein-coupled receptorsInduced pluripotent stem cellsMulti-omicsMulti-target ligandsNeural circuitsNeuro-immuneNon-opioid analgesicsTransient receptor potential (TRP) channelsVoltage-gated sodium channels (Navs)

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