Basic/Translational Development of Forthcoming Opioid- and Nonopioid-Targeted Pain Therapeutics.

ABSTRACT: Opioids represent an efficacious therapeutic modality for some, but not all pain states. Singular reliance on opioid therapy for pain management has limitations, and abuse potential has deleterious consequences for patient and society. Our understanding of pain biology has yielded insights and opportunities for alternatives to conventional opioid agonists. The aim is to have efficacious therapies, with acceptable side effect profiles and minimal abuse potential, which is to say an absence of reinforcing activity in the absence of a pain state. The present work provides a nonexclusive overview of current drug targets and potential future directions of research and development. We discuss channel activators and blockers, including sodium channel blockers, potassium channel activators, and ca

SUBMITTER: Knezevic NN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5679134 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature