PERIPHERAL OPIOID RECEPTORS

Recent experimental and clinical research has demonstrated that opioid s can produce potent and receptor-specific analgesic effects outside t he central nervous system. Opioid receptors are localized on periphera l terminals of sensory nerves and their endogenous ligands, opioid pep tides, have been discovered in immune cells within inflamed tissue. Ma ny controlled clinical studies confirm the experimental data. These fi ndings open up the exciting perspective of the development of an entir ely novel generation of peripherally active opioid analgesics devoid o f centrally mediated side effects.