Funded Projects

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Project # Sort ascending	Project Title	Research Focus Area	Research Program	Administering IC	Institution(s)	Investigator(s)	Location(s)	Year Awarded
1R24DA057632-01	Collaborative Hub for Emerging Adult Recovery Research (CHEARR)	Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction	Recovery Research Networks	NIDA	UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT	ZAJAC, KRISTYN	Farmington, CT	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Research Networks for the Study of Recovery Support Services for Persons Treated with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (R24 Clinical Trial Optional) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-043 Summary: The opioid crisis has been particularly devastating to adolescents and young adults between 16 and 25 years old. Recovery support services in community settings can help these individuals who take medications for opioid use disorder find a path to recovery. This project will develop a network of advanced researchers, recovery support specialists, adolescents and young adults in recovery, and other key community stakeholders to help rapidly advance the science of recovery support services. This research will focus in particular on continuing care services specialized for adolescents and young adults who currently take or who have taken medications for opioid use disorder.
1R24DA057611-01	RTI HEAL Harm Reduction Network Coordination Center	Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction	Harm Reduction Approaches to Reduce Overdose Deaths	NIDA	RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE	OGA, EMMANUEL AJA (contact); CANCE, JESSICA DUNCAN	Research Triangle Park, NC	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Harm Reduction Policies, Practices, and Modes of Delivery for Persons with Substance Use Disorders: Coordination Center (R24 Clinical Trial Optional) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-042 Summary: This project creates the HEAL Harm Reduction Network Coordination Center, which will provide support to the nine research studies in the HEAL Harm Research Reduction Network. The center will provide administrative and logistical help; support data harmonization and data sharing; involve stakeholders in all network activities; and share research findings and other products with researchers, practitioners, stakeholders, and the general public.
1R24DA055306-01	Wake Forest IMPOWR Dissemination Education and Coordination Center (IDEA-CC)	Clinical Research in Pain Management	Reducing Opioid-Related Harms to Treat Chronic Pain (IMPOWR and MIRHIQL)	NIDA	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	ADAMS, MEREDITH C B	Winston-Salem, NC	2021
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Integrative Management of Chronic Pain and OUD for Whole Recovery (IMPOWR): Coordination and Dissemination Center (R24 Clinical Trial Optional) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-21-029 Summary: The IMPOWR (Integrative Management of Chronic Pain and OUD for Whole Recovery) Dissemination, Education, and Coordination Center (IDEA-CC) will develop infrastructure to amplify and create momentum for the findings of the IMPOWR initiative and other linked research networks. This center will i) rapidly deploy a communication framework to link IMPOWR clinical sites with each other and the larger HEAL research frameworks; ii) develop an educational infrastructure addressing stigma and health disparities in patients with co-morbid chronic pain and opioid misuse/disorder; iii) disseminate research findings effectively to targeted audiences; iv) develop a novel composite screening tool for chronic pain and opioid misuse/disorder; and v) harmonize processes for data collection and common data elements of chronic pain and opioid misuse/disorder measures across the IMPOWR research centers, providing a coordinated platform for gathering data from these studies. This center will rapidly disseminate key findings to stakeholders, clinicians, and patients to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals with co-occurring chronic pain and opioid misuse/disorder.
1R24DA051975-01	Innovations in Recovery through Infrastructure Support (IRIS)	Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction	Recovery Research Networks	NIDA	UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE	UNICK, GEORGE J	Baltimore, MD	2020
NOFO Title: Research Networks for the Study of Recovery Support Services for Persons Treated with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (R24 Clinical Trial Optional) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-20-014 Summary: The opioid epidemic in the United States is associated with alarming rates of overdose and overdose deaths. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), in combination with psychosocial intervention, is the most effective treatment for OUD; however, many individuals are unable to access treatment, are not sufficiently retained in treatment, or experience barriers that prohibit their participation in treatment. A multipronged approach is needed that includes 1) development of integrated networks of care, both formal and informal, to better address the needs of individuals with OUDs and 2) measures of the efficacy of these integrated networks for addressing the needs of individuals with OUD. This project will build a learning collaborative to address gaps in knowledge about the delivery, sustainability, and assessment of recovery service for individuals on MAT. The collaborative will foster collaboration and communication between stakeholders and with the larger community of research and providers interested in improving the delivery of OUD recovery support services. This community-academic partnership will address the lack of evidence regarding effective recovery support services.
1R24DA051974-01A1	Enhancing Effectiveness Research on Recovery Housing for Persons Prescribed Medication for Opioid Use Disorder	Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction	Recovery Research Networks	NIDA	PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE	MERICLE, AMY ADALE (contact); MASSON, CARMEN L	Oakland, CA	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Research Networks for the Study of Recovery Support Services for Persons Treated with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (R24 Clinical Trial Optional) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-043 Summary: Safe and stable housing is widely considered to be critical to recovery from alcohol and drug use disorders. Therefore, providing dedicated safe and substance-free housing options for individuals in recovery (recovery housing) may be an essential component of a comprehensive response to the current opioid crisis. However, there is limited evidence about effective recovery housing practices for individuals choosing treatment with medications for opioid use disorders as part of their path to recovery. This project will enhance the infrastructure necessary to study the effectiveness of recovery housing for these individuals. It will develop a national multi-stakeholder network, host webinars for researchers and recovery housing providers, and support mentored pilot studies for new researchers seeking to study recovery housing.
1R24DA051946-01	Family-based Recovery Support Service Network for Youth OUD	Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction		NIDA	NATIONAL CENTER ON ADDICTION/SUB ABUSE	HOGUE, AARON	New York, NY	2020
NOFO Title: Research Networks for the Study of Recovery Support Services for Persons Treated with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (R24 Clinical Trial Optional) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-20-014 Summary: Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) prevalence has reached unprecedented levels among adolescents and emerging adults. Recovery Support Services (RSS) for persons with SUDs typically focus on the individual client after acute care. But for youth, developmental theory underscores the primacy of family-level risk and protective factors, and family-based interventions have the strongest empirical support. Yet there is a lack of research, clinical resources, and generalizable metrics focused on family-based RSS for youth with OUD. This study will establish a sustainable research network to develop and evaluate innovative family-based RSS across the youth OUD services cascade. The overall goal is to conduct research to strategies to promote family integration in youth OUD services, increase service engagement, and build supportive family environments for youth recovery. The specific goals focus on 1) innovations in family RSS interventions and metrics to assist youth OUD providers with integrating families in OUD services and, 2) innovations in measurement of direct-to-family RSS for families of youth with OUD. If successful, this study will systematically build a research and technical assistance infrastructure designed to develop and evaluate innovative family-based RSS for youth with OUD that span all phases of the services cascade: screening and referral, treatment initiation, treatment delivery, and continuing care.
1R21TR004701-01	Exploration of MBD1 as a Therapeutic Target for Chronic Pain	Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management	Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain	NCATS	UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA	STONE, LAURA S	Minneapolis, MN	2023
NOFO Title: Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-TR-22-011 Summary: Chronic pain results in long-term changes throughout the central nervous system. These include abnormal structure and function of the frontal cortex region of the brain, which relays pain messages and also the common pain-related conditions depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. Peripheral nerve injury results in widespread and long-lasting changes to DNA in the frontal cortex. DNA methylation, in which chemical tags are attached to DNA, is one way the body controls the activity of genes over time. This control occurs via proteins that recognize tagged DNA, and some of these proteins do not work properly in the frontal cortex many months after nerve injury. These changes occur after nerve injury and are linked to mechanical sensitivity. This project will determine this DNA-binding protein is a good target for finding new medications for chronic pain.
1R21TR004333-01	Discovery of Novel Openers of the Understudied Human Drug Target Kir6.1	Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management	Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain	NCATS	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE	CARDOZO, TIMOTHY J	New York, NY	2022
NOFO Title: Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: TR22-011 Summary: Routine treatment of pain with prescription opioid medications may evolve into opioid use disorder, addiction, and potentially overdose. New, non-opioid molecular targets for pain are needed as a key element of responding to the opioid and overdose crisis. Ion channels are molecular gateways that convert electrical signals into physiological responses, and many have been implicated in transmitting pain signals. The ion channel Kir6.1/KCNJ8 has been linked to the control of postoperative and cancer pain. Studies in animal models show that low levels of this ion channel are evident after an injury. This research will identify compounds that can open the Kir6.1/KCNJ8 channel as potential treatment strategy for pain.
1R21NS132590-01	Structure-Function and Signaling of Glutamate Delta 1 in Pain Mechanism	Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management	Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain	NINDS	CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY	DRAVID, SHASHANK MANOHAR	Omaha, NE	2023
NOFO Title: Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-TR-22-011 Summary: There is an urgent need to find new ways to treat chronic pain through better targeting of underlying biological processes. Research shows that flexible synapses within the amygdala brain region play a role in the progression of pain from acute to chronic, but the details are not fully understood. The receptor glutamate delta 1 helps to form and maintain synapses in the amygdala in inflammatory and neuropathic pain. This project will study how the shape and characteristics of glutamate delta 1 affect pain conditions that involve the amygdala, toward informing future development of pain medications.
1R21NS132565-01	Discovery of the Novel Targets for Post-Traumatic Headache	Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management	Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain	NINDS	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY	CAO, YUQING	Saint Louis, MO	2023
NOFO Title: Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-TR-22-011 Summary: Chronic post-traumatic headache (PTH) is highly debilitating, poorly understood, and difficult to treat. This project aims to identify proteins located in the membrane of certain neurons that are critical for the development, maintenance, and/or resolution of PTH. These proteins may be targets for novel treatment approaches that are nonaddictive and have minimal side effects.
1R21NS130417-01	The Role of Lysosomal Mechano-Sensitive Ion Channel in Pain	Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management	Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain	NINDS	INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE AT INDIANAPOLIS	TAN, ZHIYONG	Indianapolis, IN	2022
NOFO Title: Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: TR22-011 Summary: Chronic pain severely reduces the quality of life and ability to work for millions of Americans. Because misuse of opioids for chronic pain treatment contributes to opioid addiction and opioid overdose, there is an urgent need to study novel non-opioid mechanisms, targets, and treatment strategies for chronic pain. Many ion channels control the flow of electrical signals in peripheral sensory neurons and are thus key targets for understanding and treating chronic pain. This project will conduct detailed studies to identify major ion channel-related molecular activities, targets, and treatment strategies for chronic pain. In particular, this research will explore the role of a specific ion channel (lysosomal mechanosensitive ion channel, orTmem63A) in neuropathic pain resulting from nerve injury.
1R21NS130409-01	Novel Genetically Encoded Inhibitors to Probe Functional Logic of Cav-Beta Molecular Diversity	Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management	Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain	NINDS	COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	COLECRAFT, HENRY M	New York, NY	2022
NOFO Title: Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: TR22-011 Summary: High-voltage-gated calcium channels convert electrical signals into physiological responses. After a nerve injury, levels of these channels go down in some neurons in the dorsal root ganglia that communicates pain signals to and from the brain. This decline results in reduced flow of calcium that may underlie pain. This project will develop novel approaches to block these calcium channels p to further study their roles in controlling pain.
1R21NS113335-01	Targeting the Vgf signaling system for new chronic pain treatments	Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management	Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain	NINDS	University of Minnesota	VULCHANOVA, LYUDMILA H	Minneapolis, MN	2019
NOFO Title: Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Pain Treatment (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-NS-18-042 Summary: Chronic pain is maintained, in part, by persistent changes in sensory neurons, including a pathological increase in peptides derived from the neurosecretory protein VGF (non-acronymic). Preliminary findings show that the C-terminal VGF peptide, TLQP-62, contributes to spinal cord neuroplasticity and that TLQP-62 immunoneutralization attenuates established mechanical hypersensitivity in a traumatic nerve injury model of neuropathic pain. This project will test the hypothesis that spinal cord TLQP-62 signaling can be targeted for the development of new chronic pain treatments through immunoneutralization and/or receptor inhibition. It will pursue discovery and validation of TLQP-62-based therapeutic interventions along two parallel lines: identification of TLQP-62 receptor(s) and validation of anti-TLQP-62 antibodies as a potential biological therapeutic option for chronic neuropathic pain conditions.
1R21HD112210-01	Neurobiology of Pain Experiences in Youth in the ABCD Study	Cross-Cutting Research	Leveraging Existing and Real-Time Opioid and Pain Management Data	NICHD	OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY	WILSON, ANNA CAMILLE	Portland, OR	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data Related to Acute and Chronic Pain Development or Management in Humans (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DE-22-011 Summary: Many millions of Americans experience chronic pain, including about 25 million who report pain that substantially interferes with daily activities and reduces quality of life. Many chronic pain syndromes are more prevalent in females, and the incidence of chronic pain increases dramatically during adolescence. This research will use neuroimaging and other biological, social, and psychological data from a large study of young adolescents with or without pain to identify risk and protective factors for chronic pain.
1R21DE033319-01	Oral Complications From Sublingual Buprenorphine Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Study	Novel Therapeutic Options for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose	Oral Complications Arising From Pharmacotherapies to Treat Opioid Use Disorders	NIDCR	BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL	SUZUKI, JOJI	Boston, MA	2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Oral Complications Arising from Pharmacotherapies to Treat Opioid Use Disorders (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DE-23-016 Summary: Buprenorphine is used for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), and patients often take it for many years by slowly dissolving it in the mouth. In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned about possible oral complications from buprenorphine use, including tooth decay, oral infections, and tooth loss. However, this warning was largely based on small studies with no comparison group and no assessment of other risk factors such as limited dental care. This project will follow two groups of individuals with OUD who take either sublingual buprenorphine or methadone, to compare their oral health and understand barriers and facilitators of dental care. The results will be used to plan an intervention for preventing and treating oral diseases in this patient group.
1R21DE032584-01	Identifying Chronic Pain Phenotypes and Treatment Disparities in Adults with Cerebral Palsy	Cross-Cutting Research	Leveraging Existing and Real-Time Opioid and Pain Management Data	NIDCR	UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN	PETERSON, MARK D	Ann Arbor, MI	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data Related to Acute and Chronic Pain Development or Management in Humans (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DE-22-011 Summary: Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in children. Those who have this condition experience pain throughout their lives. Although opioids are generally not recommended, many adults with cerebral palsy are prescribed them for pain. This project will assess the incidence of chronic pain conditions in adults with and without cerebral palsy as well as measure opioid treatment-related health outcomes in adults with cerebral palsy. This research will also evaluate pain treatment disparities related to race/ethnicity and insurance coverage using national medical claims databases.
1R21DE032583-01	Predicting Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Acute Pain Using Mathematical Models Based on mHealth Data	Cross-Cutting Research	Leveraging Existing and Real-Time Opioid and Pain Management Data	NIDCR	VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY	VALRIE, CECELIA R (contact); MCGEE, REGINALD	Richmond, VA	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data Related to Acute and Chronic Pain Development or Management in Humans (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DE-22-011 Summary: Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder affecting about 100,000 Americans and more than 20 million people worldwide. It is caused by a mutation in the gene for beta-globin that results in the characteristic sickled shape of red blood cells, life-long severe pain, and shortened lifespan. Sickle cell disease pain episodes are usually unanticipated, making it hard for people with the condition to manage their pain and putting them at risk for increased use of opioids and poor health outcomes. This project will use existing real-time health data to identify factors that can predict onset, severity, and worsening of daily pain in children with sickle cell disease.
1R21DE032532-01	Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data Related to Chronic Orofacial Pain and Placebo Effects	Cross-Cutting Research	Leveraging Existing and Real-Time Opioid and Pain Management Data	NIDCR	UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE	COLLOCA, LUANA (contact); DORSEY, SUSAN G	Baltimore, MD	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data Related to Acute and Chronic Pain Development or Management in Humans (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DE-22-011 Summary: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, which affect the joint connecting the lower jaw and the skull, are common and difficult chronic pain conditions. Pain management strategies that harness the body’s own pain relief mechanisms (including placebo effects in which pain relief cannot be attributed to a specific treatment), can reduce the severity and duration of TMJ-related chronic pain. Although research suggests that placebo effects may have a genetic basis, few, if any, genetic studies have examined this possibility in individuals with TMJ disorders. This project will use in-depth genetic, sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological data collected from adults with chronic TMJ disorders to better understand how the placebo effect works.
1R21DE032531-01	Long-term Opioid Therapy, Depression, and Suicide Mortality Risk in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer	Cross-Cutting Research	Leveraging Existing and Real-Time Opioid and Pain Management Data	NIDCR	DUKE UNIVERSITY	OSAZUWA-PETERS, NOSAYABA	Durham, NC	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data Related to Acute and Chronic Pain Development or Management in Humans (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DE-22-011 Summary: It is unclear if long-term use of opioids by head and neck cancer patients affects risk for depression, which is higher in this population compared to people without cancer. This knowledge could inform interventions such as increased opioid prescription safety or alternative pain management approaches and could thus help reduce the risk for depression-related outcomes. This project will use data from a national cancer database linked to Medicare claims and a Veterans Administration database to determine whether people with head and neck cancer that take opioid medications for more than 90 days have increased risk for new-onset or worsening depression or suicide death.
1R21DA057677-01	Developing a Timely Opioid Overdose Detection Tool through a Tribally Engaged Approach	Cross-Cutting Research	Leveraging Existing and Real-Time Opioid and Pain Management Data	NIDA	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	GAINES, TOMMI LYNN	La Jolla, CA	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Exploratory Data and Methods to Address Urgent Needs to Stem the Opioid Epidemic (R21- Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-045 Summary: Addressing the current opioid overdose crisis requires tracking risky opioid use in a timely manner so that public health agencies can plan accordingly and supply life-saving resources. American Indian Tribes often lack such tools, even though American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest rates of opioid overdose fatalities. This project will adapt commercialized monitoring technologies for use in Tribal communities, in consultation with affected Tribes. Through a partnership with a Tribal Fire Department and a software company providing data analytics for public safety agencies, this research will build a near real-time opioid overdose dashboard for use within Tribal boundaries. The findings may also improve data collection and outbreak monitoring for other substances, including methamphetamine and cocaine.
1R21DA057598-01	Tracking the Opioid Epidemic with Social Media: An Early Warning System	Cross-Cutting Research	Leveraging Existing and Real-Time Opioid and Pain Management Data	NIDA	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	ALTMAN, RUSS BIAGIO	Redwood City, CA	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Exploratory Data and Methods to Address Urgent Needs to Stem the Opioid Epidemic (R21- Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-045 Summary: A key component to addressing the current opioid overdose crisis is the ability to track dangerous opioid use in a timely manner so that public health agencies can plan accordingly. Direct reports about drug use and overdoses from social media might provide a useful early warning system that when combined with other sources, can provide policy makers and public health officials with powerful tools for monitoring this public health crisis. This project will explore the usefulness of Twitter and Reddit as a social media component of opioid use surveillance – in particular by monitoring mentions of fentanyl and synthetic opioids at various geographic levels (e.g., local or regional) and over time.
1R21DA057500-01	G Alpha Z Subunit as a Potential Therapeutic Target to Modulate Mu Opioid Receptor Pharmacology	Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management	Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain	NIDA	UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER	BIDLACK, JEAN M	Rochester, NY	2022
NOFO Title: Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: TR22-011 Summary: Opioids affect the body by attaching to certain types of receptors that attach to G-proteins (particularly, a subtype called G-alpha). Opioids vary in their ability to provide pain relief as well as in their ability to require more drug to provide a response, known as tolerance. This project will explore the potential of various G-alpha subunits to increase or decrease opioid receptor signaling. The research findings will lay the groundwork for tailoring G-alpha related opioid effects to provide more pain relief while being less addictive.
1R21DA056740-01	Recruiting Active Expiration to Overcome Opioid-Induced Persistent Apnea	Novel Therapeutic Options for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose	Focusing Medication Development to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose	NIDA	University of California, Los Angeles	FELDMAN, JACK L	Los Angeles, CA	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Novel Targets for Opioid Use Disorders and Opioid Overdose (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-032 Summary: Prescription opioids provide pain relief, but overdose can be fatal because opioids also depress breathing through opioid-induced persistent apnea, when breathing stops. This research will determine whether targeted activation of a specific, opioid-insensitive brain region that triggers exhalation can increase tolerance to fentanyl-induced apnea. The research also seeks to identify the receptors responsible for this exhalation, which could be targets for new medications that prevent the negative impact of opioids on breathing. This research lays the groundwork for more preclinical and translational studies to prevent opioid-induced persistent apnea.
1R21DA056637-01	KCa2 Channel Activators for Opioid Use Disorder	Novel Therapeutic Options for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose	Focusing Medication Development to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose	NIDA	University of California, Davis	WULFF, HEIKE	Davis, CA	2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Novel Targets for Opioid Use Disorders and Opioid Overdose (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-032 Summary: Safe and effective options are urgently needed to prevent and treat opioid use disorder and polysubstance use disorders. Previous research in humans and animals suggests that activating the calcium-activated potassium channel KCa2.2 is a promising therapeutic approach for treating substance use disorders and associated health conditions. This project will perform a virtual high-throughput screen using novel machine learning approaches to discover new molecules that interact with the KCa2.2 channel. The newly discovered molecules help develop novel drugs for the treatment of opioid use disorder and associated health conditions.
1R21DA049861-01	Impact of SB 273 on West Virginia Patients, Providers and Overall Prescription Rates of Opioid Medications	New Strategies to Prevent and Treat Opioid Addiction	Preventing Opioid Use Disorder	NIDA	West Virginia University	Cara Sedney; Treah Haggerty	Morgantown, WV	2019
NOFO Title: Mechanism for Time-Sensitive Drug Abuse Research (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) NOFO Number: PAR-19-064 Summary: In 2018, new opiate prescribing limits (SB 273) were implemented across West Virginia to combat the opiate misuse epidemic. This study will utilize quantitative and qualitative measures to determine the effect of the recent opiate prescription laws in West Virginia, how a change in policy affects the opiate misuse epidemic, and how communities may apply this knowledge more broadly. The research team will: 1) collaborate with the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy to ascertain changes in opiate prescribing habits before and after the start of SB 273 using an interrupted time series methodology, and 2) achieve broad and deep understanding of how SB 273 has affected prescribing practices and experiences amongst primary care physicians, specialists (pan physicians, surgeons, emergency room physicians, etc.), and patients who currently or previously utilized opiate medications.