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Cyclic peptide may relieve pain without cravings

University of Florida researchers have created a small cyclic peptide that in early animal tests seems to quell pain without promoting drug-seeking behavior. The macrocyclic peptide, described at the ACS national meeting by UF’s Jane Aldrich, is derived from a natural compound, called CJ-15,208, that was first isolated from fermented wood chips and both activates and suppresses the kappa-opioid receptor. This dual activity is critical for developing an opioid that doesn’t lead to addiction because activation leads to pain relief, while suppression tamps down euphoria, Aldrich said. Aldrich and colleagues, including pharmacologist Jay McLaughlin, modified certain amino acids in CJ-15,208 to create JVA4001, a peptide with picomolar activity in mouse brains without the side effects seen in the original. In tests that mimic drug-seeking behavior, mice treated with JVA4001 seem to lose interest in cocaine, ethanol, and morphine, while in another test that involves placing the animals’ tails in hot