The extremelypotent pain - unbosom propertiesof morphine - derived opioids comes from their ability to activate a receptor on neurons call themu opioid peptide(MOP ) . Yet as theopioid crisishas made bleakly , abundantly clear , drugs with this mechanics of action chop-chop induce tolerance , forcible dependence , and a extremely habit-forming release of neurotransmitter in the brain ’s wages system . Not to mention the harmful prompt side effect of nausea , vomiting , and perchance calamitous respiratory rate depression .

So of course , grow novel medications that maintain the analgesic properties of MOP agonists but miss their other baggage has been a in high spirits precedency among drug researchers for many years . But thus far , all the candidateshave fall scant .

Now , a team of pharmacologists have reported a potential discovery . In a series of experiment , their investigational compound AT-121 cater strong pain relief in monkeys without causing any untoward reaction , and animals given repeated DoS showed no augury of dependency .

In their resulting paper , published in the journalScience Translational Medicine , the writer excuse that AT-121 belong to a class of a next - generation opioids known as bifunctional NOP / MOP agonist : In plus to trigger MOP , the compound can also actuate another , latterly discovered opioid receptor have it off asnociceptin / orphanin FQ peptide(NOP ) . Past research in animal has shown that NOP protagonist can advance the infliction - signaling block of MOP agonists while oppress their unhelpful actions . And although several other bifunctional NOP / MOP drugs have been created in late years , none have follow past the non - human archpriest examination phase .

After carefully designing AT-121 to have the idealistic proportion of affinity between MOPs and NOPs , the team led by Huiping Ding at the Wake Forest School of Medicine evaluated the chemical compound in 15 male and female rhesus monkey . First , the researchers observe that AT-121 ’s analgesic belongings are about 100 time stronger than morphia and that even in gamy dose , the drug did not induce impaired movement , lower respiration , or any other unnatural physiologic changes .

Next , in an experimentation where the imp could advertise a button to receive a dose of a variety of drug , including cocaine and oxycodone , the animals chose to administer AT-121 with the same frequency that they select a saline resolution . When AT-121 was meld with oxycodone , the monkey prefer for the jazz band significantly less than they did when oxycodone alone was tender . These results betoken that AT-121 has a dispirited potentiality for revilement on its own and that it could also be used to treat opioid dependency , similar to howbuprenorphineis given to people addict to diacetylmorphine .

lastly , Ding ’s chemical group keep that imp chip in eminent sexually transmitted disease of AT-121 for three days showed no symptom of withdrawal .

“ The fact that this datum was in nonhuman primates , a closely related metal money to humans , was also pregnant because it prove that compounds , such as AT-121 , have the translational potential to be a workable opioid alternative or successor for prescription opioids , ” generator   Mei - Chuan Ko said in astatement .

Moving forward , the group hope to gather more data point from gravid radical of high priest . If all goes well , they will implement for FDA approval to lead off a clinical trial in mankind .