Opioid system and related ligands: from the past to future perspectives

Autor: Laura Rullo, Camilla Morosini, Antonio Lacorte, Marco Cristani, Flaminia Coluzzi, Sanzio Candeletti, Patrizia Romualdi
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Critical Care, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2731-3786
DOI: 10.1186/s44158-024-00201-2
Popis: Abstract Chronic pain is a pathological condition affecting about 30% of population. It represents a relevant social-health issue worldwide, and it is considered a significant source of human suffering and disability, strongly affecting patients’ quality of life. Despite several pharmacological strategies to guarantee an adequate pain management have been proposed over the years, opioids still represent one of the primary choices for treating moderate-to-severe pain in both cancer and non-cancer patients. However, chronic use of opioids often leads to numerous side effects, including respiratory depression, constipation, analgesic tolerance, and opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH), which can strongly limit their use. Given the fundamental role of opioid system in pain relief, this review provides a general overview about the main actors (endogenous opioid peptides and receptors) involved in its modulation. Furthermore, this review explores the action and the limitations of conventional clinically used opioids and describes the efficacy and safety profile of some promising analgesic compounds. A deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind both analgesic effects and adverse events could advance knowledge in this field, thus improving chronic pain treatment.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals