Science at UM [S01-ep02]: From opioids with no side effects to the economics experimentation platform
On this program: opioid painkillers that may one day be free of addictive side effects, with Rémy Sounier fromthe Institute of Functional Genomics. In the second part of the program, Dimitri Dubois introduces us to LEEM, the experimental platform of the Center for Environmental Economics in Montpellier.
Codeine, tramadol, buprenorphine,fentanyl, oxycodone ...If you've ever come across these drugs, it's because you've also come across pain! Today, at UM, science takes you into the very sensitive field of opioid analgesics. Whether caused by a migraine, surgery, injury, or illness, enduring pain is not an option when a simple pill can sometimes be enough to make it go away, at least for a few hours. So, yes, of course we want to relieve pain, but to what extent and how far should we go? This question lies at the heart of what some call "the opioid crisis," or how to balance pain and side effects when the latter can sometimes even lead to death. An estimated 70,000 deaths were caused by opioid painkillers in the United States in 2019.
Towards opioid painkillers without side effects
This reality may soon be a thing of the past thanks to the work carried out by our guest and his team. Rémy Sounier is a researcher atthe Institute of Functional Genomics (IGF), and his discoveries are paving the way for a new generation of opioids without addiction or serious side effects. The results were published last September in the journal Molecular Cell.
Read also:
- the press release
- the article
Experimentation in economics
In the second part of the program, we take you to the Richter campus, home to LEEM, the experimental platform of the Montpellier Center for Environmental Economics. Dimitri Dubois, its director, opened the doors to us during an experimental session in which we were able to participate.
At UM Science, you have the program, so let's get started!
Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview and reporting: Aline Périault / Lucie Lecherbonnier
Editing: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Production: Bruno Bertrand
Listen to the program “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9
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