Zero to Ten

Human Opiorphin, a natural antinociceptive modulator of opioid-dependent pathways — Wisner et al., 10.1073/pnas.0605865103 — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Mammalian zinc ectopeptidases play important roles in turning off neural and hormonal peptide signals at the cell surface, notably those processing sensory information. We report here the discovery of a previously uncharacterized physiological inhibitor […]

BBC NEWS | Health | Natural chemical ‘beats morphine’
When given to rats, the chemical, called opiorphin, was able to curb pain at much lower concentration than the powerful painkiller morphine.
The French team said their findings could be lead to new pain treatments.
But other scientists were unsure of the significance of the work, which is published […]