Sci Adv: research finds more long-lasting and non addictive nanopainkillers

February 15, 2019 / BIOON / - a team of researchers from the University of saxophone and the University of Descartes in Paris have developed a nanodrug that can relieve pain in rodents In their latest study, published in science advanced, the researchers reported that their nanodrug is more durable and less addictive than opioids Photo source: Science Advanced opioids are widely used to relieve pain worldwide because they can effectively relieve pain But as widely reported, the addictive nature of opioids has led to widespread drug abuse and many deaths Because of this serious side effect, scientists have been looking for drugs that can effectively relieve pain but are less addictive In this new study, the drug reported by the researchers may meet the requirements The team focused on the naturally occurring opioid receptor binding peptides in the body - one of which is enkephalin They are believed to be as effective as opioids, but less addictive However, the development of such drugs has been seriously hindered by the existence of blood-brain barrier To solve this problem, the researchers bond the neuropeptide leucine enkephalin to a lipid called squalene, which can be injected directly into the pain site The researchers hope the new drug will directly relieve pain in the peripheral nervous system, not in the brain The researchers tested the drug by injecting it into the painful, swollen paws of mice The researchers tested the pain response in mice by heating - the smaller the response, the less painful it was The researchers found that the pain in the mice was relieved after the injection of the new drug Further tests showed that the duration of drug action was longer than that of opioids And because the drug doesn't need to be in contact with the brain, the researchers believe it's not addictive either Researchers say more needs to be done before the drug can be tested in clinical trials One of the problems we need to face is to sterilize the drug without destroying it At the same time, researchers need to test different species Reference: Jian Feng et al A new painkiller nanomedicine to bypass the blood brain barrier and the use of morphine, science advanced (2019) Doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau5148