Fentanyl makeover: Core structural redesign could lead to safer pain medications (IMAGE)

Scripps Research Institute

Fentanyl makeover: Core structural redesign could lead to safer pain medications

Caption

Fentanyl’s traditional molecular structure (left) works by acting on mu-opioid receptors (top) to reduce pain and a protein called beta-arrestin-2 (bottom) to cause respiratory depression, also known as slowed breathing. Chemists at Scripps Research have developed a modified structure of the drug (right) that maintains its pain-relieving signature while reducing respiratory depression.

 

Credit

Arran Stewart, Scripps Research.

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