Morphine is one of the most widely used painkillers in the world. As effective as it is addictive, it is the source of many dangerous side effects such as respiratory depression which can be fatal... This is why for several years, scientists have been trying to find such an effective but harmless molecule. And this time may be the right one. Researchers from the very prestigious Stanford University School of Medicine (California) have developed a new compound with the same properties and their study, published on Wednesday August 17, 2016 in the journal Nature, was able to prove its potential in experiments carried out on mice.
In our brain, receptors are on the surface of a family of cells located in the brain and spinal cord. Under morphine, these cells modify the activity of other cells and it is this process that triggers the side effects… The researchers therefore had to find a way to stimulate only the molecular pathway that induces the analgesic effect by targeting a single opioid receptor precise. To do this, they screened 3 million different compounds. Results ? 23 good candidates. But after laboratory analysis, only one managed to activate the right molecular pathway without affecting the one responsible for the side effects. Thus, this new compound called "PZM21" targets only one of the receptors through which morphine exerts most of its analgesic effects.
Several studies, conducted on mice, have shown that PZM21 is as potent as morphine, without affecting respiration. The mice were also absolutely not addicted to this molecule, which does not seem to have the addictive side of morphine either. Laboratory tests showed that the molecule acted without causing any other significant activity in other opioid receptors. Which is rather very good news.
The researchers will, however, continue to study this new compound to determine whether, in the long term, it is as safe for humans as it is for mice. If they can prove its safety and effectiveness, clinical trials can then begin. We hope that will be the case!
