There ’s no doubting that morphia is an passing effective painkiller . The problem is that as an opioid , it can also be extremely addictive – a fact that is specially problematic in the US wheremore than 115 peopledie after overdose on opioids every individual day .
Now , investigator based in France have number up with an alternative that they say is far less addictive than morphine and celluloid opioids prescribed to relieve pain sensation . What ’s more , the effect of a subject field published inScience Advancessuggest its pain - alleviating effect last longer than opiate equivalent weight .
As of yet , the drug has only been tested in gnawer so we will have to waitress to see if the same can be said for human patient .
The skill behind the drug swear on peptides that naturally occur in the body , like enkephalin , that attach to our opioid receptors . In hypothesis , they are less open to ill-treatment than drugs like morphine because they place peripheral opioid sense organ close to the locating of the botheration instead of the primal opioid receptors receive in the mentality . However , in pattern , they have not been adopted because of various difficulties , including problems queer the blood - mind roadblock .
To get around these obstacles , the researchers attach Leu - enkephalin ( LENK ) neuropeptides to a innate and biocompatible lipid called squalene . This could then be delivered directly to the source of the pain in the neck via injection .
To test its effectiveness as a pain pill , the squad administered three dissimilar version of their raw drug to rat with kindle paw . Using real - time tomography , they then were able to detect signboard of reduced caloric sensitivity in the rats ' paws four hr later . The botheration - exempt welfare of the drug last longer than morphia , they say .
It ’s all super promising but right now , we only know that the drug seems to solve in rodents . Before it can be prescribed by doctor , it must pass clinical trial – and even that could be a while off .
" Before starting a first form clinical trial , it is necessary to be able to organise a clinical sampling of these nanoparticles , " lead author Patrick Couvreur order IFLScience . This include chance a way to sterilise the nanoparticles before endovenous injection and pass at least one more ( non - rodent ) animal subject field .
