The Findings Pave Way for New Therapies for Treating Pain
and Mood Disorders
Scientists have discovered how the element sodium influences
the signaling of a major class of brain cell receptors, known as opioid
receptors. The discovery, from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the
University of North Carolina (UNC), suggests new therapeutic approaches to a
host of brain-related medical conditions.
“It opens the door to understanding opioid related drugs for
treating pain and mood disorders, among others,” said lead author Dr. Gustavo
Fenalti, a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor Raymond C.
Stevens of TSRI’s Department of Integrative Structural and Computational
Biology.