Dual Enkephalinase Inhibitors and Their Role in Chronic Pain Management. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Dual enkephalinase inhibitors (DENKIs) are pain medications that indirectly activate opioid receptors and can be used as an alternative to traditional opioids. Understanding the physiology of enkephalins and their inhibitors and the pharmacology of these drugs will allow for proper clinical application for chronic pain patients in the future. RECENT FINDINGS: DENKIs can be used as an alternative mode of analgesia for patients suffering from chronic pain by preventing the degradation of endogenous opioid ligands. By inhibiting the two major enkephalin-degrading enzymes (neprilysin and aminopeptidase N), DENKIs can provide analgesia with less adverse effects than nonendogenous opioids. The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature investigating DENKIs and explore their contribution to chronic pain management.

publication date

  • March 24, 2021

Research

keywords

  • CD13 Antigens
  • Chronic Pain
  • Disulfides
  • Enkephalins
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Neprilysin
  • Propionates
  • Propylamines

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85103353115

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1007/s11916-021-00949-0

PubMed ID

  • 33761014

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 25

issue

  • 5