Despite the abuse potential of opioid drugs, they have long been the best option for patients suffering from severe pain. The drugs interact with receptors on brain cells to tamp down the body’s pain response. But now, neuroscientists at Washington University have found a way to activate opioid receptors with light. In a test tube, the scientists melded the light-sensing protein rhodopsin to key parts … Continue reading Researchers successfully implant and control light-sensitive opioid receptors in mice via optogenetics.