Finding new painkillers can help fight opium abuse in treatment

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Scientists have discovered a new analgesic that is effective in reducing neuropathic pain, a finding that can be an ideal key in addressing the problem of abuse of addictive analgesics, one of The biggest challenges in public health today.

In this study, a synthetic compound known as UKH-1114, was effective in reducing neuropathic pain in injured mice. It is effective as a widely used drug for pain relief similar to gabapentin.

This new analgesic is linked to a receptor on cells throughout the central nervous system called sigma receptor 2.

Not only that, UKH-1114 used on mice with nerve damage showed rapid pain relief but at lower doses (one-sixth) compared to taking gabapentin and longer-lasting effect lasting for several days, compared with with 4-6 hours with gabapentin.

Stephen Martin, a professor at the University of Texas, said: "This opens the door to a new treatment for neuropathy without the use of addictive painkillers or opium . and that has implications. great in modern medicine " . Martin said in an article published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

In addition, if the drug is proven to be safe, effective and non-addictive in humans, it will be an important key to solving the problem of drug abuse, narcotic analgesics, researchers. said.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, nearly two million people in the US are addicted to prescription opioid analgesics. Because opioid drugs also often require increasing doses to maintain its effectiveness.

Researchers say new drugs can also replace opioids with side effects similar to gabapentin that can cause dementia in some people.

Previously, painkillers were mostly used for neuropathic pain, or chronic pain, caused when nerves in the central nervous system were damaged or symptoms caused by chemotherapy, diabetes and Brain or spinal cord injury.