PNAS: Targeting Delta opioid receptors helps treat inflammatory pain

, June 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent study from BioValley BIOON/--- showed that Delta opiate receptors have an ananguative mechanism that can be accurately targeted by nanoparticles to treat chronic inflammatory painThe results were published in the latest pNAS journalopioid receptors( mainly through the central nervous system and the intestines) are activated by opioids that can be produced naturally by the human body or entered the body by taking themDespite the existence of many types of opioid receptors, most opioids, such as oxycodone and morphine, are targeted to the sopioid receptorsOpioids have a variety of side effects, including constipation and breathing difficultiesIn addition, these drugs are addictive and become less effective over time, so people need higher doses to control their pain, leading to increased side effects and the risk of overdose(photo source:
In the study, researchers focused on a different kind of opioid receptor: The Delta opioid receptor, which suppresses pain when activated, but has relatively few side effectsBy performing biopsies on human and mouse colons of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, the authors found that Delta opioid receptors had a pain-relieving effectresearchers also learned that opioid receptor signals are sent from the endocellularsIn the endothecos, the receptor maintains signal activity for a long time, which means that Delta opioid receptors can have a long-term effect in suppressing painto target opioid-like receptors, the researchers encapsulated a painkiller called DADLE inside nanoparticles, which binds specifically to Delta opioid-like substance receptorsSide effects are avoided by specifically guiding nanoparticles to nerve cells that control painAfterbinds to the receptors of nerve cells, nanoparticles enter the cells to reach the cell, and then slowly release the painkiller molecules to activate the Delta opioid receptorThis leads to the continued activation of the latter"Our findings suggest that not only Delta opioid receptors in the intracellular body are targets for reducing chronic inflammatory pain," said Bunnett, the author of thearticle(Bio Valley Bioon.com)source:Delta op-op eiidentified as a tha for theof the:Nestor NJimenez-Vargas el al.,"Endoso Signaling of the delta opiops is san endogenous