A new study led by the University of Leeds has revealed that the human body contains an internal pain-blocking system similar to opioids—but without the risk of addiction. The findings could revolutionize chronic pain treatment and open the door to new therapies that may reduce opioid dependence.
According to the research, the body can produce natural benzodiazepine-like peptides that reduce pain signals at certain nerve endings.
These peptides emerge in the dorsal root ganglia and act only in the peripheral nervous system, meaning they do not cause side effects seen with opioids—such as drowsiness, confusion, or addiction.
Professor Nikita Gamper of the University of Leeds, who led the study, highlighted the limitations of current painkillers:
"Opioids remain the most powerful painkillers, but they carry the highest risk of addiction. We need something better," he said.
The team discovered that certain glial cells connected to nerve cells naturally release a benzodiazepine-like peptide. This peptide reduces the activity of nerves that carry pain signals, lowering the amount of pain perceived by the brain.
Because this process does not enter the central nervous system—meaning it does not cross the blood–brain barrier—it is considered particularly safe. The body can suppress pain without causing sedation or addiction.
Dr. Ganesan Baranidharan, a pain treatment specialist at Leeds, summarized the significance:
"Chronic pain is one of the biggest challenges in healthcare. Long-term opioid and nerve medications create serious side effects. This research could open the door to a new and safer treatment."
Chronic pain, which affects one in three people worldwide, remains one of the top reasons for medical consultations. Yet effective treatments with minimal side effects are still limited.
Published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the study's results indicate that new painkillers could be developed that act only on peripheral nerves. Such drugs could:
Avoid affecting the brain
Avoid addiction risk
Avoid causing sedation
Suppress pain at its source
Prof. Gamper and his team have secured £3.5 million in new funding to continue the research. Over the next five years, they will study biological markers of neuropathic pain and develop new treatments based on this natural peptide mechanism.
The research was a joint effort by the University of Leeds, Hebei Medical University in China, and the University of Cincinnati. The teams discovered they had independently reached similar findings and decided to collaborate more closely.
Co-author Prof. Xiaona Du said, "When we realized we were all seeing the same result, we knew we had to pursue it."
This discovery reveals a natural pain-control mechanism hidden within the body's nervous system. If validated and translated into clinical practice, it could lead to safe, non-addictive treatments that may one day replace opioids.
