Cryo-EM snapshots reveal insight into how opioids activate their receptor

Cryo-electron microscopy has shed new light on the distinct steps by which opioids, and their antidotes, interact with the μ-opioid receptor.

It is hoped that these insights will provide a detailed roadmap of how these drugs work and aid the design of longer- or faster- acting antidotes or new opioids that have a reduced risk of addiction or side effects.