Abstract 2843 Facing Fentanyl: Analyzing μ-Opioid Receptor Activation in the Presence of Fentanyl

75-100x more potent than morphine, synthetic opioid fentanyl's recreational use has led to a significant public health crisis, resulting in over 74,000 fatalities in the US in 2023 due to accidental overdoses. Fentanyl and structurally similar synthetic opioids are often contaminated or cut with other neuroactive drugs. These drugs increase fentanyl's potency, making it a growing epidemic of abnormally high overdose-induced lethality. Fentanyl binds to the μ-opioid receptor (mOR), a G protein-coupled receptor, producing strong analgesic effects.