Natural Chemical in Human Saliva More Efficient against Pain than Morphine

A team of French researchers at the Institut Pasteur in Paris have tracked down a natural chemical in human saliva and possibly to be found in other parts of the body, too, which is more effective against severe pain than morphine. Besides the fact that it is a more effective painkiller, there is necessary a considerably low concentration of the new natural compound called opiorphin to curb severe pain as compared to morphine.

The study has been conducted only in mice so far, but results showed promise for the development of a new generation of more powerful painkillers to help people who experience acute, excruciating pain brought about by a wide range of diseases and conditions. The team isolated opiorphin chemical from human saliva and then tested it on rodents who have previously been induced chemical or mechanical chronic or acute pain. Results showed that only 1 mg of opiorphin per kg was as successful in reducing unbearable pain in mice as 6 mg of morphine per kg.

Even if the findings of the current trial have been encouraging, Professor Catherine Rougeot, of the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, who led the study cautioned that further research is still needed in order to investigate natural chemical's pharmacological profile and the side effects it may bring about. She said: "First we need to explore the pharmacological profile of opiorphin and to study its toxicological effects."

The team also admitted that they haven't unlocked the 'mysterious' mechanism which lies behind opiorphin's high potency of curbing severe pain, but they believe that it may be associated with preventing enkephalins in the brain from being destroyed. Enkephalins are endorphins, also known as 'natural pain killers' which are present in the central nervous system and protect our body from severe pain, acting as analgesics.

Commenting on the findings of the study, John Wood, Professor of Molecular Neurobiology at the University College London stated for BBC News: "The discovery that human saliva contains a pain-killing protein is very interesting, and follows on from the discovery of related protein activities in rats and cows. These proteins all stop the breakdown of natural morphine-like proteins that block pain pathways in the brain.
However, drugs that act in a similar way have not progressed to the clinic, and there is no strong evidence that these proteins play a role in the physiological control of pain perception. The significance of these findings for pain control is thus still uncertain."