Strategies towards safer opioid analgesics—A review of old and upcoming targets. (21st January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Varga, Balazs R.; Streicher, John M.; Majumdar, Susruta
• Other Names: Traynor John guestEditor.; Moron‐Concepcion Jose guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: British journal of pharmacology. Volume 180:Number 7(2023)
• Page Start: 975
• Page End: 993
• Publication Date: 2022-01-21
• Subjects: Pharmacology -- Periodicals; Chemotherapy -- Periodicals; Drug Therapy -- Periodicals; Pharmacology -- Periodicals; 615.1
• DOI: 10.1111/bph.15760
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1188

Abstract

Abstract : Opioids continue to be of use for the treatment of pain. Most clinically used analgesics target the μ opioid receptor whose activation results in adverse effects like respiratory depression, addiction and abuse liability. Various approaches have been used by the field to separate receptor‐mediated analgesic actions from adverse effects. These include biased agonism, opioids targeting multiple receptors, allosteric modulators, heteromers and splice variants of the μ receptor. This review will focus on the current status of the field and some upcoming targets of interest that may lead to a safer next generation of analgesics. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Advances in Opioid Pharmacology at the Time of the Opioid Epidemic. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v180.7/issuetoc