title: Opioid analgesia: new information from gene knockout studies.
abstract: The cloning of opioid peptides and receptors has led to the development of knockout mice deficient in a gene encoding for each peptide and each receptor. The major advantage of the knockout approach is the complete selectivity that the removal of a protein encoded for by a gene provides. These knockout animals are adding to our knowledge of the physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology of opioid systems. In addition, they are providing real impact in addressing the long-standing debates over receptor subtype heterogeneity and functional cooperativity between receptor subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kitchen