Researchers at Indiana University say a modified version of cannabidiol, a chemical found in cannabis, could help reverse the effects of overdoses from drugs such as fentanyl.
In the , researchers hoped that the new discovery could lead to a new way to reverse overdoses either through a new product or by working synchronously with naloxone.
According to the Canadian government’s website, an average of 20 people die per day due to apparent opioid toxicity, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl being a major contributor. While naloxone is widely used as an antidote for opiate overdoses, it is found to be less effective against the synthetic opioids in the fentanyl category.
Researchers say in order to counteract the effects of an overdose, your body's opioid receptors need something else to bind to.
"The synthetic opiates bind very tightly to the opioid receptors," senior research scientist for the Gill Center for Biomolecular Science Alex Straiker said in .
"Naloxone must compete with opioids for the same binding site in the central nervous system to cancel out an overdose. But during a fentanyl overdose, naloxone and fentanyl bind to different sites, meaning there is no competition. We wanted to see if a negative allosteric modulator could reverse the fentanyl effects."
According to the University of Michigan, an allosteric modulator is a molecule that interacts with other molecules to the degree that it affects their behaviour.
Researchers conducted the experiment by testing 50 chemical compounds to determine which ones exhibited the most potential as a tool to cancel out the effects of fentanyl.
Researchers found cannabidiol, or CBD, "could behave as a negative allosteric modulator at the binding site,†however, high concentrations were needed during the first phase of testing.
After modifying the structure of the CBD to be more effective, researchers found that tests done on blood or tissue samples successfully reversed the effects of fentanyl.
"We've identified structural parts that are important for the desired antidote effect," Straiker explained. "Some of these compounds are much more potent than the lead. We’ve worked with a third lab to model the binding site that may help identify additional compounds moving forward."
According to the study, the next important step is for researchers to test their findings on live subjects in order to determine whether they can reverse the effects of respiratory depression, which is what happens to your body during a drug overdose.
Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.
MPs in the House of Commons are debating the Conservatives' promised non-confidence motion today, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre calling for 'a carbon tax election,' and a renewal of 'the Canadian promise' in a 20-minute speech.
Health Canada has approved Pfizer-BioNTech's updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against one of the most recently circulating variants of the virus.
We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.
The federal government is advising Canadians in Lebanon to leave now while commercial flights are available, saying, 'Canada is not currently offering assisted departures or evacuations.'
Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre revealed Tuesday at a hearing on federal welfare reform that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.
Given the continued progress the Bank of Canada has made in bringing inflation back down to the 2 per cent target, it is reasonable to expect more rate cuts, Governor Tiff Macklem said on Tuesday.
Video of a B.C. man's surprise encounter with a black bear has gone viral online, generating much discussion about how to best respond when face-to-face with an aggressive animal.
A senior executive at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike will apologize at an appearance before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Tuesday for the company's faulty software update that caused a global IT outage in July.
We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.
The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.
Video of a B.C. man's surprise encounter with a black bear has gone viral online, generating much discussion about how to best respond when face-to-face with an aggressive animal.
An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.
The federal government is advising Canadians in Lebanon to leave now while commercial flights are available, saying, 'Canada is not currently offering assisted departures or evacuations.'
A Calgary man is facing child pornography charges after an investigation uncovered years of messages exchanged with an alleged felon.
The son of the man suspected in the assassination attempt in Florida of former President Donald Trump has been arrested on federal charges of possessing child sexual abuse images.
The federal government is advising Canadians in Lebanon to leave now while commercial flights are available, saying, 'Canada is not currently offering assisted departures or evacuations.'
Japan's top diplomat asked China to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens there after the fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy, and demanded a crackdown on what she called 'groundless, malicious and anti-Japanese' social media posts that threaten children's safety.
The passenger in a car was killed when a horse smashed through the windshield during a series of crashes on a Southern California interstate over the weekend, authorities said.
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed Tuesday to boost the country's nuclear war capability and take other steps to protest the recent arrival of a nuclear-powered U.S. submarine in South Korea.
On a different timeline, the New York Stock Exchange might have been housed inside an imposing, Mayan temple-shaped tower; Disney World would exit to an after-party companion park named Night World.
MPs in the House of Commons are debating the Conservatives' promised non-confidence motion today, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre calling for 'a carbon tax election,' and a renewal of 'the Canadian promise' in a 20-minute speech.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said many Canadians are taking their cost-of-living frustrations 'out on me for understandable reasons,' during his U.S. late-night television debut on 'The Late Show' with Stephen Colbert Monday night.
Senate officials say they were told in January 2021 about phishing emails targeting parliamentary accounts -- attacks that were later attributed to hackers acting on behalf of Beijing.
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, season is just a few months away, but new vaccine options have already arrived for Ontario residents who may be vulnerable to the winter bug.
Private nursing agencies could cost Canadian health-care facilities approximately $1.5 billion in 2023-24, according to a new report commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.
Health Canada has approved Pfizer-BioNTech's updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against one of the most recently circulating variants of the virus.
A new analysis of dozens of arrowheads is helping researchers piece together a clearer portrait of the warriors who clashed on Europe’s oldest known battlefield 3,250 years ago.
Finally, an emoji to represent us all is coming soon: An exhausted face with bags under its eyes.
A Soyuz capsule carrying two Russians and one American from the International Space Station landed Monday in Kazakhstan, ending a record-breaking stay for the Russian pair.
Beverly Glenn-Copeland says he's been diagnosed with dementia and will play his final concert tour dates over the next two weeks.
Genealogy and family tree tracking site Ancestry announced on Monday that by using “billions of historical records and public family trees,†they’ve discovered that the two music powerhouses are actually seventh cousins, once removed.
The sexual assault trial for Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard, the former frontman for the band Hedley, is expected to begin in northern Ontario this week, following a jury selection process.
Given the continued progress the Bank of Canada has made in bringing inflation back down to the 2 per cent target, it is reasonable to expect more rate cuts, Governor Tiff Macklem said on Tuesday.
Canada's grain farmers say a strike at Metro Vancouver terminals would cripple crop exports if it were allowed to take place.
Cineplex Inc. has been ordered to pay a record $38.9 million fine after the Competition Tribunal found the theatre owner guilty of deceptive marketing practices.
From cellphone 'hotels' to patchwork policies to recalibrating lesson plans, teachers and schools across Canada are learning to navigate a classroom without cellphones.
The Newcomers Football Club, an impromptu team made up of asylum-seekers, has helped provide Boubacar Lukaku and others with a joy that erases their stress. And it's helped connect them with a supportive community as they navigate the challenges of a new country.
The City of Ottawa says it is recruiting a 'nightlife council' to aid the city's recently appointed nightlife commissioner.
Reid Carruthers seeks a three-peat in curling's quirky PointsBet Invitational that's become an unofficial season kickoff because of money, field and visibility.
Cole Perfetti will suit up for the Winnipeg Jets for another two years.
The Boston Red Sox kept their playoff hopes alive on Monday by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 in the first of a three-game road series.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.
Struggling Jeep and Ram maker Stellantis is looking for a CEO to succeed Carlos Tavares, but the company says it's just part of a normal leadership succession plan.
The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday will propose a ban on the sale or import of smart vehicles that use specific Chinese or Russian technology because of national security concerns, according to U.S. officials.
Giant gourds took over a Manitoba community this weekend.
Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.
Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
Video of a B.C. man's surprise encounter with a black bear has gone viral online, generating much discussion about how to best respond when face-to-face with an aggressive animal.
A man and a woman from Nanaimo, B.C., are facing more than two dozen charges after police seized four guns and several hundred grams of illicit drugs following a complaint about drug trafficking in the city's downtown core.
Former British Columbia chief coroner Lisa Lapointe is slated to appear alongside BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau for a policy announcement in Victoria related to the province's illicit-toxic drug crisis.
An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, season is just a few months away, but new vaccine options have already arrived for Ontario residents who may be vulnerable to the winter bug.
Premier Doug Ford is standing behind comments he made suggesting that people living in encampments “just need to get a job to lift themselves out of poverty.â€
A Calgary man is facing child pornography charges after an investigation uncovered years of messages exchanged with an alleged felon.
A man is in critical condition following a shooting in the northeast Calgary community of Cityscape.
A former Lethbridge pastor who bilked millions out of hundreds of southern Albertans has appealed his conviction and sentence.
Ottawa police say there is an ongoing investigation at Glebe Collegiate Institute.
Ottawa police say a 26-year-old man has been arrested following a several assaults on passengers travelling on OC Transpo vehicles Monday morning.
The Canada Revenue Agency has provided new data on the number of employees who were found to have received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A fire in a container at one of the Port of Montreal's terminals prompted the city to issue a containment notice for the area adjacent to the port on Monday evening, in the Mercier--Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.
Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating after a man was stabbed shortly before midnight in the St. Henri neighbourhood.
Traffic is delayed in southeast Edmonton as a result of a crash involving an LRT train and a semi.
The Edmonton International Airport will conduct an aircraft training exercise on Wednesday morning.
Hall of Fame hockey player Mark Messier will be among the on-air talent for Amazon's new NHL broadcast.
Antigonish County District RCMP is trying to track down a man wanted on a provincewide arrest warrant for sexual assault in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative government has announced it will build four new schools in the Halifax region as part of its school capital plan for the area.
A candidate for Halifax mayor says the municipality's approach to homeless encampments has encouraged unhoused people from across the country to move to the city to live in tents. But housing advocates and a city councillor say that claim is untrue.
From cellphone 'hotels' to patchwork policies to recalibrating lesson plans, teachers and schools across Canada are learning to navigate a classroom without cellphones.
Unions representing roughly 25,000 health-care support workers have issued a strike notice, alerting the province its members will walk off the job if a deal is not reached before a looming deadline.
It was a tragic ending to the search for a six-year-old boy in northeastern Manitoba who had been missing since Wednesday.
Health care is shaping up to be a major issue for this fall’s provincial election in Saskatchewan and on Monday both the Sask. Party and NDP announced plans on how they will work to improve the sector if elected this fall.
Regina police will be conducting a two-day traffic blitz in and around the city Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Saskatchewan Government is in the province's highest court fighting to prevent a Court of King’s Bench judge from determining if its Parents' Bill of Rights actually violates the Charter.
A reward of up to $50K has been issued by Waterloo Regional Police for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Joshua Bennett.
Police were called to a business in the area of University Avenue East and Weber Street North at around 10:40 p.m. Saturday for a report of a man attempting to stab another man.
Officials say Lixian, 29, is known to frequent Waterloo Region, Toronto and Niagara Falls.
The Saskatchewan Government is in the province's highest court fighting to prevent a Court of King’s Bench judge from determining if its Parents' Bill of Rights actually violates the Charter.
Fire crews are battling a blaze at the Candle Lake Golf Course clubhouse on Monday morning.
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Education says a woman facing an assault charge is no longer working at a private Christian school where the alleged incident took place.
We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.
A Verner man, 35, is charged in connection with a fatal crash on Highway 17 last month that killed one and sent another to hospital.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said many Canadians are taking their cost-of-living frustrations 'out on me for understandable reasons,' during his U.S. late-night television debut on 'The Late Show' with Stephen Colbert Monday night.
A London man charged with criminal harassment following an incident outside the Parkhill Public Library during a Drag Queen story reading on April 29, 2023, has been found not guilty.
The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.
Showers are expected to push into the region through the afternoon as a moisture laden system moves into the Great Lakes Basin.
Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.
A 17-year-old boy faces several charges and police are on the hunt for several more suspects following an armed home invasion and theft in Orillia.
Residents of Barrie are asked to weigh in on the future of the waterfront during a public meeting on Tuesday.
A man swimming across the Detroit River from Windsor to Detroit was rescued by a mail boat, according to the J.W. Westcott Company.
Residents living in a Tecumseh neighbourhood had an unusual sighting over the weekend.
Windsor police say a 37-year-old man accused of attempted murder has been arrested and charged with violating his bail conditions.
A man and a woman from Nanaimo, B.C., are facing more than two dozen charges after police seized four guns and several hundred grams of illicit drugs following a complaint about drug trafficking in the city's downtown core.
Former British Columbia chief coroner Lisa Lapointe is slated to appear alongside BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau for a policy announcement in Victoria related to the province's illicit-toxic drug crisis.
Video of a B.C. man's surprise encounter with a black bear has gone viral online, generating much discussion about how to best respond when face-to-face with an aggressive animal.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.
Authorities arrested a man from Pincher Creek after shots were fired near a home on the Blood Tribe First Nation.
A former Lethbridge pastor who bilked millions out of hundreds of southern Albertans has appealed his conviction and sentence.
Farmers in southern Alberta are working to wrap up harvest, with 80 per cent of major crops in the bin, according to the province's latest crop report.
A 25-year-old suspect was charged with impaired driving Sept. 21 after police spotted two people without helmets on an ATV on Sand Bay Road in Goulais River.
A federal offender who was last seen in Sudbury is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for allegedly breaching his statutory release conditions.
Opening arguments are expected to begin in the sexual assault trial of former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard at a northern Ontario courthouse Tuesday.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they’re about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
