Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42768001›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Structure-guided allosteric modulation of the delta opioid receptor.

Jesse I Mobbs, M Deborah Nguyen, Owindeep Deo, Damian Bartuzi, Hariprasad Venugopal, Sadia Alvi, Vi Pham, Nicholas Barnes, Arthur Christopoulos, Daniel P Poole and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Jesse I Mobbs *Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6979-1427
M Deborah Nguyen *Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Owindeep Deo *Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Damian BartuziScience for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9927-376X
Hariprasad VenugopalRamaciotti Centre for Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5230-2973
Sadia AlviMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8363-1793
Vi PhamMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Nicholas BarnesMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Arthur ChristopoulosMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4442-3294
Daniel P PooleMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6168-8422
Simona E CarboneMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Manuela JörgMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3116-373X
Ben CapuanoMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Jens CarlssonScience for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4623-2977
Arisbel B GondinMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia. arisbel.batista@monash.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1751-4062
Peter J ScammellsMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia. peter.scammells@monash.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2930-895X
Celine ValantMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia. celine.valant@monash.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2509-7465
David M ThalMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia. david.thal@monash.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0325-2524

Funding

ChimeraX -- Next Generation Visualization and Analysis Software for Multiscale ModelingR01GM129325 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI FERRIN, THOMAS E · 2018 to 2025
$5.2M
Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 1196951NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM129325
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Opioid analgesics remain essential for pain management but are associated with significant adverse effects, including respiratory depression, tolerance, and dependence. The δ-opioid receptor (δOR) represents a promising therapeutic target for developing safer opioid analgesics with reduced adverse effects compared to conventional μ-opioid receptor-targeting drugs. Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) offer advantages over direct agonists by enhancing endogenous opioid signaling while preserving natural spatiotemporal activation patterns, potentially avoiding tolerance and dependence issues. Here, we present high-resolution cryo-EM structures of δOR complexed with the peptide agonist DADLE and the PAM MIPS3614, revealing a lipid-facing allosteric binding site formed by transmembrane helices 2, 3, and 4. MIPS3614 stabilizes the active receptor conformation through a critical hydrogen bond with residue N131

Indexed as

Receptors, Opioid, deltaAllosteric RegulationAllosteric SiteAnalgesics, OpioidAnimalsBinding SitesCryoelectron MicroscopyEnkephalin, LeucineHumansProtein BindingProtein ConformationAnalgesics, OpioidEnkephalin, LeucineReceptors, Opioid, delta

Identifiers

PMID42768001
PMCPMC13594213

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.