Researchers at the University of Sherbrooke (UdeS) have been working hard over the last 13 years to understand the function of opioids to find safer alternatives for painkillers. From January 2016 to June 2018, over 9,000 deaths linked to an opioid overdose were recorded in Canada alone. The Record spoke with Louis Gendron, professor and head of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at UdeS, to learn more about the research conducted at the CHUS Research Centre. “My laboratory is generally interested in opioids and the treatment of pain, with morphine as the key player. Morphine is the strongest painkiller out there, but its regular use also has several side effects, such as nausea and constipation,” explained the professor, who has been teaching and researching the topic at UdeS since 2006. “Stronger doses can cause problems on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Like all medication, it can cause unwanted potential of abuse and addiction, which makes it a powerful street drug.” See full story in the Tuesday, July 23 edition of The Record.
UdeS researchers in search of safer painkiller alternatives
By Emilie Hackett, Special to The Record
