Grant: Undergraduate: Summer Studentship Award - Institute Community Support

Despite the existence of a multitude of drugs with analgesic properties, the treatment of pain often remains problematic. Notwithstanding significant side effects (constipation, nausea, sedation), alkaloid compounds remain the most effective drugs to relieve chronic pain. The best known of all alkaloids undoubtedly remains morphine, belonging to the family of opiates. Morphine and its derivatives bind and activate at least three subtypes of G protein-coupled receptors, the mu (MOP), delta (DOP) and kappa (KOP) opioid receptors. Although these three receptor subtypes possess analgesic properties, the actions of the majority of opioids used clinically target MOP. In contrast to the latter, activation of DOP leads to few unwanted effects. Under certain conditions, the activation of DOP can counter the painful sensations with an efficacy close to morphine. In Dr. Gendron's laboratory, we are interested in studying this receptor. More specifically, my summer training project aims at investigating the pattern of expression of DOP in dorsal root ganglia neurons (DRGs) in order to better define its role in the control of pain.