Selective δ Opioid Receptor Agonists for Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain.

In the last decade a number of selective and potent non-peptidic agents became available to explore the usefulness of the δ-opioid receptor in modulation of pain of different origins. As a continuing effort in this field, potent and selective δ-opioid agonists based on the pyrrolomorphinan framework have been designed, synthesised and characterised biologically in our laboratories. In animal models, a selected compound of interest, SB 235863, has proved the concept that selective δ-opioid agonists may have great potential as pain relief agents in inflammatory and neuropathic pain conditions. Importantly, such a compound was free of the unwanted side effects usually associated with narcotic analgesics such as morphine.