The body's endogenous opioid system has three classes of opioid receptors: mu, delta, and kappa. Previous research showed that mice lacking the mu opioid receptor do not drink alcohol. A new study ...

Alcohol-use disorders have a significant genetic component to their development. New findings show that heavy drinkers with the G allele of the A118G polymorphism of the mu-opioid receptor gene have ...

Fentanyl, a mu-opioid receptor agonist, is one of the most commonly used analgesics in hospitals, and may induce long-lasting behavioral and somatosensory impairment in rodents. However, whether the ...

While not risk-free, natural leaf kratom offers an accessible option, and many users report that it helps them regain control of their lives.

Kappa delta mu sounds like a college fraternity. And if you associate college with sometimes fatal outbursts of binge drinking, the Greek letters might be a fitting label. For neuroscientists, though, ...

Having a pill that alleviates chronic pain without adverse side effects or the risk of addiction remains an unmet pharmaceutical need for millions of people currently using traditional opioid drugs.

Kratom is commonly sold as an herbal supplement in Kentucky, but it's drawing the attention of lawmakers and regulators who ...

Brandy Schillace’s review of “Candace Pert” by Pamela Rykman (Bookshelf, Nov. 15) contains a questionable conclusion: the discovery of the mu opioid receptor in 1972 “helped launch the opioid crisis” ...

Researchers from the Turku PET Centre, Finland, have observed that the length of daylight hours impacts opioid receptor levels in brown fat. When daylight hours shorten, the receptor activity levels ...

Researchers have observed that the length of daylight hours impacts opioid receptor levels in brown fat. When daylight hours shorten, the receptor activity levels elevate. A similar phenomenon also ...