CB1

Alexandros Makriyannis, George D. Behrakis Chair of pharmaceutical biotechnology, recently imaged the full structure of cannabinoid receptor type 2, one of the two proteins responsible for the effects of cannabinoids in the body. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Cannabis will transform medicine—once we figure out how to get rid of its side effects

To produce better drugs for chronic pain, mental illness, and other health problems, Northeastern professor Alexandros Makriyannis is making new molecules in the lab—the same kind that give people a high when they smoke marijuana.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa February 19, 2020

Associate Professor Ganesh Thakur conducts research with Sumanta Garai, left, and Peter Schaffer in 140 The Fenway Center on Oct. 2, 2018. Thakur is developing pain medications that are safe and effective alternatives to opioids. These potential medications are a new class of compounds, harnessing cannabis-like effects without the cognitive or mood changes of marijuana. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

In search of a drug to stop the opioid epidemic

Ganesh Thakur, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has created a chemical compound that could enhance the body’s own ability to relieve pain well enough to replace opioids, without putting patients at risk of becoming addicted.

by Laura Castañón and Lia Petronio December 5, 2018

10/19/16 - BOSTON, MA. - Alexandros Makriyannis
Professor, George D. Behrakis Endowed Chair, and Director of the Center for Drug Discovery poses for a portrait on Oct. 19, 2016. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Structure of the brain’s ‘marijuana receptor’ revealed

New research by an interdisciplinary team, including Northeastern’s Alexandros Makriyannis, reveals how THC—the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana—gets into brain cells. The findings open the door to the development of new medications, free from side effects, for conditions from pain and obesity to neurological diseases and addiction.

by Thea Singer October 20, 2016

Cannabis will transform medicine—once we figure out how to get rid of its side effects

In search of a drug to stop the opioid epidemic

Structure of the brain’s ‘marijuana receptor’ revealed

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