Dermorphin: A New Frontier in Peptide-Based Pain Management
Dermorphin is a naturally occurring heptapeptide (a chain of seven amino acids) originally isolated from the skin of Phyllomedusa frogs native to South America. What makes dermorphin unique is its extreme potency as a mu-opioid receptor (MOR) agonist—estimated to be 30 to 40 times more powerful than morphine by weight—yet with evidence suggesting a lower risk of tolerance development. Its structure features a D-amino acid (D-alanine), which is uncommon in human biology but contributes significantly to its binding affinity and prolonged effect at opioid receptors. Despite these striking pharmacological properties, dermorphin remains unapproved for human use and has only been studied extensively in animal models. In controlled animal studies, dermorphin has demonstrated profound analgesic effects at ultra-low doses. For example, intracerebroventricular administration in rodents has shown an ED50 (effective dose in 50% of subjects) in the picomole range—orders of magnit...

Comments
Post a Comment