Subject
Humans; Analgesics; Animals; Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support; Drug Tolerance; Receptors; Ligands; Afferent/metabolism; Cell Movement; Neurons; Opioid Peptides/metabolism/therapeutic use; Opioid/genetics/metabolism; Opioid/metabolism/therapeutic use; Pain/drug therapy/metabolism/therapy; Signal Transduction/physiology
Description
The treatment of severe pain with opioids has thus far been limited by their unwanted central side effects. Recent research promises new approaches, including opioid analgesics acting outside the central nervous system, targeting of opioid peptide-containing immune cells to peripheral damaged tissue, and gene transfer to enhance opioid production at sites of injury.
2003