Opioids’ molecular magic unmasked

First 3-D views show how drugs bind to cells

Proteins turned on by opium and similar substances in the body have now been caught in action. Two new snapshots show how cellular proteins lasso molecules in the opium family, revealing the 3-D structure of such pairings for the first time. 

DEEP POCKETS Knowing how a morphinelike molecule (yellow) sticks in the pocket of the protein it interacts with (blue) could help scientists design better painkillers that aren’t addictive.