DIAGNOSTIC REPORT

The final report on the first phase (2013) of the “Development of the strategic directions for education reform in Kazakh- stan for 2015-2020” project was implemented by the Graduate School of Education at Nazarbayev University on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The purpose of this research is to conduct a diagnosis of the education system of the Republic of Kazakhstan in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the educational system and the subsequent identification of areas for further modernization at each level

DIAGNOSTIC REPORT

The final report on the first phase (2013) of the “Development of the strategic directions for education reform in Kazakh- stan for 2015-2020” project was implemented by the Graduate School of Education at Nazarbayev University on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The purpose of this research is to conduct a diagnosis of the education system of the Republic of Kazakhstan in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the educational system and the subsequent identification of areas for further modernization at each level

Tuned-Affinity Bivalent Ligands for the Characterization of Opioid Receptor Heteromers

Opioid receptors, including the μ- and δ-opioid receptors (MOR and DOR), are important targets for the treatment of pain. Although there is mounting evidence that these receptors form heteromers, the functional role of the MOR/DOR heteromer remains unresolved. We have designed and synthesized bivalent ligands as tools to elucidate the functional role of the MOR/DOR heteromer. Our ligands (L2 and L4) are comprised of a compound with low affinity at the DOR tethered to a compound with high affinity at the MOR, with the goal of producing ligands with “tuned affinity” at MOR/DOR heteromers as compared to DOR homomers. Here, we show that both L2 and L4 demonstrate enhanced affinity at MOR/DOR heteromers as compared to DOR homomers, thereby providing unique pharmacological tools to dissect the role of the MOR/DOR heteromer in pain