Scientists have known for decades that opioids relieve pain by binding to molecular switches in the brain called mu-opioid ...

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 ...

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.

Now, with the rise of prescription painkillers, the introduction of extremely potent synthetic opioids and the resurgence of heroin, the nation is locked in an ongoing overdose epidemic some have ...