Tag: opioid receptors
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Opioid Receptors in Motion Reveal Paths to Safer Painkillers
Unlocking the Dynamics of Mu-Opioid Receptors For decades, scientists have understood that opioids alleviate pain by binding to mu-opioid receptors in the brain and nervous system. Yet the precise chain of events that follows this binding remained cloudy. Recent research, focusing on the real-time behavior of these molecular switches, is shedding light on why some…
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Opioid receptors in motion: new clues for safer painkillers
Understanding the moving target: mu-opioid receptors For decades, scientists have known that opioids relieve pain by binding to mu-opioid receptors in the brain. These molecular switches, when activated, set off a cascade of signals that dull the perception of pain. But the exact sequence of events inside the receptor remained murky. A recent wave of…
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Opioid Receptors in Motion Offer Clues for Safer Painkillers
Understanding the Moving Target: What Mu-Opioid Receptors Do For decades, scientists have known that opioids relieve pain by binding to mu-opioid receptors in the brain. What has remained murkier is how this binding translates into the complex cascade that controls pain, mood, breathing, and reward. A new wave of research tracks these receptors in motion,…