Zhenhua Shao

Sep 26, 2024 | nature.com | Chanjuan Xu |Chang Zhao |Wei Yan |Jianfeng Liu |Zhenhua Shao

AbstractDelta opioid receptor (δOR) plays a pivotal role in modulating human sensation and emotion. It is an attractive target for drug discovery since, unlike Mu opioid receptor, it is associated with low risk of drug dependence. Despite its potential applications, the pharmacological properties of δOR, including the mechanisms of activation by small-molecule agonists and the complex signaling pathways it engages, as well as their relation to the potential side effects, remain poorly understood.