Basic Science Discoveries Yield Novel Approaches to Analgesia
For millennia, opioid medications have provided the most potent tools for pain relief. Yet, although they are the best we have, opioids fall short of being ideal analgesics: They have unpleasant side effects, their efficacy diminishes with ongoing use, they cause physical dependence, and they pose significant risks for abuse and addiction. Moreover, opioids do not quell all types of pain. For example, they provide only partial, often temporary relief to people with neuropathic pain, which commonly develops when disease or trauma injures nerves and typically produces burning, stinging, or