Develop opioid analgesic without side effects

2017/03/03 Agirre Ruiz de Arkaute, Aitziber - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biokimika
• Medikuntza

Scientists from Berlin manage to synthesize an effective medication to treat pain and without side effects. The new analgesic is opioid, but does not produce the side effects of morphine and other opioids: nausea, apnea, ulcers, constipation, bleeding, dependency and, at high doses, even death.

Opioids are used to remove pain in inflamed tissues, such as postoperative or in cancers, but actually act mostly throughout the body. However, the new analgesic NFEPP only acts in inflammatory zones, since it is only associated with cell receptors in acidic conditions. Since the typical pH of the tissues is neutral, acidity is only found in areas of inflammation.

When tested in animal clinical trials, they find that the new opioid has a high analgesic power in enlarged tissues, but that healthy tissues do not react to analgesic. Therefore, do not worship the whole body or create addictions.

The research has been presented by the journal Science.