The interest in opioids such as morphine, the prototypical opioid ligand, has been maintained through the years. The identification of endogenous opioids and their receptors (mu, delta, kappa, and nociceptin), molecular cloning, and the elucidation of the crystal structures of opioid receptors represent key milestones in opioid research. The opioid system modulates numerous pharmacological responses, with therapeutic (i.e., analgesia) and detrimental side effects (i.e., addiction). The medical use and misuse of opioids have dramatically increased, leading to the 21st century opioid crisis. This book presents recent developments in opioid drug discovery, specifically in the medicinal chemistry and pharmacology of new ligands targeting the opioid receptors as effective and safe therapeutics for human diseases. Furthermore, it draws a special attention to advancing concepts and strategies in opioid drug discovery to mitigate opioid liabilities. The diversity among the discussed topics is a testimony to the complexity of the opioid system, which results from the expression, regulation, and functional role of ligands and receptors. The array of multidisciplinary research areas illustrates the rapidly developing basic research and translational activities in opioid drug discovery. This book will serve as a useful reference while also stimulating continued research in the chemistry and pharmacology of opioids and their receptors, with the prospect of developing improved therapies for human diseases, but also improving health and quality of life in general.

The Essence of Analgesia and Analgesics is an invaluable practical resource for clinicians giving pain relief in any clinical setting, describing the pharmacologic principles and clinical use of all available pain medications. As well as detailed overviews of pain processing and analgesic theory, sections are dedicated to oral and panteral opioid analgesics, neuraxial opioids, NSAIDs, local anesthetics, anticonvulsant type analgesics, NMDA antagonists, alpha adrenergic analgesics, antidepressant analgesics, muscle relaxants, adjuvant medications, and new and emerging analgesics. The concise format of the chapters allows for quick and easy reading and assimilation of information. Enhanced by summary tables and figures, each chapter provides an overview of a particular drug, covering chemical structure, mode of activity, indications, contraindications, common doses and uses, advantages and disadvantages, and drug related adverse events. Key references are also provided. Edited by leading experts in pain management, this is essential reading for any clinician involved in pain management.

Numerous phenomenal advances have been made towards understanding the role of neurotransmitters in the pathophysiology of neurological disorders, and these have resulted in a large number of novel molecules with the potential to revolutionize the treatment and prevention of such disorders. This book provides a comprehensive and detailed explanation of brain neurotransmitters and their receptors and associated channels. It includes a basic introduction, and also discusses the functions and recent advances and their pharmacology, highlighting the role of various computer aided drug design (CADD) strategies for the development of therapeutic ligands to modulate these receptors/ion channels. Written in an easy-to-read style, it is intended for neuroscience and pharmaceutical students and researchers working in the area of brain neurotransmitters.

This pocketbook summarizes the recent developments in this important and controversial aspect of pain management, looking at the benefits and adverse effects of opioids in non-cancer pain.

Advances in itch research have elucidated differences between itch and pain but have also blurred the distinction between them. There is a long debate about how somatic sensations including touch, pain, itch, and temperature sensitivity are encoded by the nervous system. Research suggests that each sensory modality is processed along a fixed, direct-line communication system from the skin to the brain. Itch: Mechanisms and Treatment presents a timely update on all aspects of itch research and the clinical treatment of itch that accompanies many dermatological conditions including psoriasis, neuropathic itch, cutaneous t-cells lymphomas, and systemic diseases such as kidney and liver disease and cancer. Composed of contributions from distinguished researchers around the world, the book explores topics such as: Neuropathic itch Peripheral neuronal mechanism of itch The role of PAR-2 in neuroimmune communication and itch Mrgprs as itch receptors The role of interleukin-31 and oncostatin M in itch and neuroimmune communication Spinal coding of itch and pain Spinal microcircuits and the regulation of itch Examining new findings on cellular and molecular mechanisms, the book is a compendium of the most current research on itch, its prevalence in society, and the problems associated with treatment.

Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia: the Fifth Edition of Lumb and Jones is a reorganized and updated edition of the gold-standard reference for anesthesia and pain management in veterinary patients. Provides a thoroughly updated edition of this comprehensive reference on veterinary anesthesia and analgesia, combining state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and clinically relevant information Covers immobilization, sedation, anesthesia, and analgesia of companion, wild, zoo, and laboratory animals Takes a body systems approach for easier reference to information about anesthetizing patients with existing conditions Adds 10 completely new chapters with in-depth discussions of perioperative heat balance, coagulation disorders, pacemaker implantation, cardiac output measurement, cardiopulmonary bypass, shelter anesthesia and pain management, anesthetic risk assessment, principles of anesthetic pharmacology, and more Now printed in color, with more than 400 images

"These guidelines were produced by the World Health Organization (WHO), Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) a Guidelines Development Group of technical experts, and in consultation with the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) secretariat and other WHO departments. WHO also wishes to acknowledge the financial contribution of UNODC and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to this project. " - p. iv

The Encyclopedia of Pain includes more than 3,000 entries and provides clear, detailed and up-to-date coverage of the current state of research, and treatment of pain. In addition, detailed essays provide in-depth information on all aspects of nociception and pain, including substrates, causes, pathophysiology, symptoms and signs, diagnoses and treatment. A thousand color figures enhance understanding of this too-little-understood topic. The book is available in print, in online only form, or in a print-online bundle.

The second edition of Fundamentals of Anaesthesia builds upon the success of the first edition, and encapsulates the modern practice of anaesthesia in a single volume. Written and edited by a team of expert contributors, it provides a comprehensive but easily readable account of all of the information required by the FRCA Primary examination candidate and has been expanded to include more detail on all topics and to include new topics now covered in the examination. As with the previous edition, presentation of information is clear and concise, with the use of lists, tables, summary boxes and line illustrations where necessary to highlight important information and aid the understanding of complex topics. Great care has been taken to ensure an unrivalled consistency of style and presentation throughout.