Скачать или смотреть 🔬 Capturing Opioid Signaling in Motion: How Different Drugs Activate the μ-Opioid Receptor

Why do some opioid drugs trigger stronger effects than others—even when they bind the same receptor?
In a groundbreaking Nature (2025) study, researchers used time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy to capture non-equilibrium snapshots of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) as it activates intracellular G-proteins. By visualizing receptor dynamics in real time, the team revealed how partial agonists, full agonists, and super-agonists produce distinct signaling outcomes. These findings offer a new structural explanation for ligand efficacy and could guide the design of safer, more selective opioid drugs.


Source + Credits
Journal: Nature (2025)
Article: Non-equilibrium snapshots of ligand efficacy at the μ-opioid receptor
Authors: Michael J. Robertson, Arnab Modak, Makaía M. Papasergi-Scott, Miaohui Hu, Maria Claudia Peroto, Balázs R. Varga, Susruta Majumdar, Ravi Kalathur, Scott C. Blanchard & Georgios Skiniotis
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10...
Research Institutions: Multidisciplinary teams across structural biology, biophysics, and molecular pharmacology research institutes



#OpioidReceptors
#GPCR
#CryoEM
#StructuralBiology
#DrugDiscovery
#Neuroscience
#Pharmacology
#ScienceNews
#NatureJournal


Disclaimer
This video summarizes peer-reviewed research for educational and informational purposes only. It does not provide medical advice or endorse specific drugs or treatments. Interpretations are based on the original publication.