Drugs that target opioid receptors sometimes have severe side effects. Thousands of people around the world die every day from overdoses involving opioids such as fentanyl. Researchers have taken a ...

New research reveals previously unknown ways opioid receptors can function, opening the door to safer pain treatments.

Researchers at USF Health have discovered a new way opioid receptors can work that may lead to safer pain medications. Their findings show that certain experimental compounds can amplify pain relief ...

Researchers at Rice University have revealed a previously unknown function of opioid receptors in the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS), often referred to as the "brain in the gut." This ...

Scientists have known for decades that opioids relieve pain by binding to molecular switches in the brain called mu-opioid (pronounced "mew-opioid") receptors. What they didn't know - until now - was ...

Researchers at Rice University have revealed a previously unknown function of opioid receptors in the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS), often referred to as the “brain in the gut.” This ...

A cross-country research team has identified a promising approach to improving the life-saving function of naloxone (Narcan), a drug used to reverse opioid overdose. The researchers published their ...

Medications have become our go-to treatments for opioid addiction. Though life-saving, their downsides are underappreciated ...