A polymorphism of the µ-opioid receptor is linked to alcohol misuse among...
A genetic study has examined the association between a polymorphism of the µ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene and alcohol misuse among adolescents. Results suggest that teens who carry the G allele (A118G)...
View ArticleStress-induced changes in brain circuitry linked to cocaine relapse
(PhysOrg.com) -- Stress-evoked changes in circuits that regulate serotonin in certain brain regions can precipitate a low mood and a relapse in cocaine-seeking.
View ArticleWestern diets turn on fat genes
Those extra helpings of gravy and dessert at the holiday table are even less of a help to your waistline than previously thought. According to a new research report recently appearing online in The...
View ArticleLove hurts: Why emotional pain really affects us
Have you ever felt overly upset by a social snubbing? Your genetics, not your friends, may be at fault.
View ArticleResearchers find new target to improve pain management
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered a major mechanism underlying the development of tolerance to chronic morphine treatment. The discovery may help researchers find new...
View ArticleCertain populations may benefit most from alcohol-dependence treatment...
Naltrexone is one of the most effective pharmacological treatments for alcohol dependence. However, naltrexone does not work for everyone. A new study has found that naltrexone is effective for women,...
View ArticleResearchers block morphine's itchy side effect
Itching is one of the most prevalent side effects of powerful, pain-killing drugs like morphine, oxycodone and other opioids. The opiate-associated itch is so common that even women who get epidurals...
View ArticleHow heroin works: Imaging opioid receptors in the brain
(Phys.org) -- Researchers and doctors have gleaned new clues to the molecular mechanisms behind some of the most addictive substances in the world, thanks to two new studies that uncovered the...
View ArticleLarge, medically important class of proteins starts to yield its secrets
Readers of the top-ranked scientific journals Science and Nature might have noticed a recent wave of articles, most recently in the July 13, 2012 issue of Science, with deep importance for biology and...
View ArticleResearchers decode the interplay between enkephalins and pain receptors
"Pain begone!" In order to send out this signal, the human body produces tiny messenger molecules that dock to certain receptors. Using traditional biochemical methods, this interaction between the...
View ArticleScientists develop promising drug candidates for pain, addiction
Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have described a pair of drug candidates that advance the search for new treatments for pain, addiction and other disorders.
View ArticleStudy first to pinpoint why analgesic drugs may be less potent in females...
(PhysOrg.com) -- Investigators at Georgia State University’s Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience are the first to identify the most likely reason analgesic drug treatment is...
View ArticleHigh-fat, high-sugar foods alter brain receptors
Overconsumption of fatty, sugary foods leads to changes in brain receptors, according to new animal research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The new research results are being presented...
View ArticleResearchers discover novel approach to stimulate immune cells
Researchers at Rutgers University have uncovered a new way to stimulate activity of immune cell opiate receptors, leading to efficient tumor cell clearance.
View ArticleA cyborg sensor that could unlock anesthesia's secrets
(Phys.org) —Almost every biological process involves sensing the presence of a certain chemical. Finely tuned over millions of years of evolution, the body's different receptors are shaped to accept...
View ArticleStudy could pave the way for painkillers with fewer side effects
Researchers have long sought alternatives to morphine – a powerful and widely used painkiller – that curb its side effects, including dependency, nausea and dizziness. Now, an experiment at the...
View ArticleHigh-powered X-ray laser unlocks mechanics of pain relief without addiction
Using a newly developed X-ray source, scientists have revealed how a new type of pain-relievers works - bonding to the same neuroreceptors that morphine does, but without the accompanying physical...
View ArticleNew study brings medicine closer to non-addictive painkillers
Powerful opiate drugs are a mainstay in modern medicine, alleviating pain in both acute and chronic forms. These charms however, bear a curse. Users quickly develop tolerance to their effects,...
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