Word: enkephalins
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Dates: during 1978-1978
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...discoveries also help explain narcotic addiction. Scientists speculate that under normal conditions, enkephalins bind to a certain number of receptor sites. Morphine acts to relieve pain by filling the remaining sites. But too much morphine overloads the system, causing enkephalin production to be cut off. More morphine is needed to fill the receptors and produce relief. If the narcotic is then withheld, all the receptors remain empty, resulting in typical withdrawal symptoms. With this knowledge, researchers hope to design nonaddictive pain relievers...
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