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Updated Tuesday, November 25, 2008 11:18 am TWN, AFP

New drug dims pain like pot, without the high

PARIS -- Scientists have found a way to release the pain-relieving potential of one of the same proteins in the body activated by marijuana, according to a study released Sunday. In experiments on mice, researchers found a chemical that prevents a naturally occurring enzyme from blocking this cannabinoid receptor, called 2-arachidonoylgylcerol, or 2-AG.

Once the enzyme, known as MAGL, is deactivated, the protein is more effective in dampening pain, say the team, led by Benjamin Cravatt of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.

The complex human cannabinoid system is thought to hold great potential for the control of chronic pain, and could also prove useful in the treatment of anxiety, depression and even obesity.

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