A Snapshot seminar hosted by the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience

Abstract: Mu opioid receptors are activated by opioid drugs such as morphine and heroin, as well as endogenous opioid peptides like enkephalins and endorphins. Like many other GPCRs, biased signalling has been seen in mu opioid receptors. We, and others, have researched biased agonists at the mu-opioid receptor to determine if they could lead to better opioid drugs: drugs that are effective analgesics but that avoid side-effects such as respiratory depression and tolerance. Further, in common with other GPCRs that are expressed in neurons, mu-opioid receptors can be located both pre-synaptically and post-synaptically and we have evidence that the subcellular location of the receptor has a significant impact on receptor function and the development of tolerance.