A new method for the safe relief of pain in humans has been discovered
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Italian scientists have discovered a new tool for enhancing the effects of anandamide - a natural chemical like marijuana in the human body that alleviates pain.
A group of researchers identified a FLAT protein in brain cells that transports anandamide to the sites of damaged cell sites. They found that blocking this protein increases the potency of anandamide.
Previous work by researchers has shown that compounds that enhance the natural abilities of anandamide can form the basis of analgesics that do not cause sedation, drug dependence, or other side effects of existing painkillers such as opiates.
"These results raise the hope that the analgesic properties of marijuana can be used for new, safe drugs," said the author of the Piomelli study.
In the study, scientists used computational methods to understand how a protein binds to anandamide and transports it to damaged cells due to the action of the enzyme hydrolase fatty acid amide (FAAH).
Anandamide has been dubbed a "molecule of happiness" because of its similarity to the active ingredient in marijuana. The neurotransmitter, which is part of the endocannabinoid system of the human body, has analgesic, soothing and antidepressant properties, plays an important role in regulating food intake.
Piomelli and his colleagues suggest that blocking the FLAT protein can be particularly useful in fighting certain types of pain caused by central nervous system damage, addiction to drugs such as nicotine and cocaine.
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