Targeting the kappa opioid receptor for analgesia and antitumour effects

<p dir="ltr">Kappa opioid (KOP) receptor agonists have analgesic actions in a range of models, but central side-effects can limit their utility. In addition, non-analgesic actions of opioid receptors are receiving significant research interest. A recent article reports that high KOP receptor expression in glioma tissue correlates with improved survival and that KOP receptor agonism further promotes apoptosis of glioma cells through regulation of the p38 MAPK oncogenic pathway. This suggests that KOP receptor ligands could be developed as chemotherapeutic adjuncts in addition to their use as analgesics.