Ligand efficacy modulates conformational dynamics of the micro-opioid receptor. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38600384/)

These scientists wanted to understand how a specific part of our body, called the micro-opioid receptor, works when we feel pain and when we take medicine to help us feel better. They used special tools to look really closely at the receptor and see how it changes shape when it interacts with different drugs. They found that the receptor can have different shapes that affect how well it can help us feel better. They also discovered that the receptor can interact with different parts of our body in different ways. Overall, their study helps us understand how pain-relief medicines work in our body, which can help scientists create even better medicines in the future.

Zhao J., Elgeti M., O'Brien ES., Sar CP., Ei Daibani A., Heng J., Sun X., White E., Che T., Hubbell WL., Kobilka BK., Chen C. Ligand efficacy modulates conformational dynamics of the micro-opioid receptor. Nature. 2024 May;629(8011):474-480. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07295-2. Epub 2024 Apr 10.