Funded Projects

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Project # Project Title Research Focus Area Research Program Administering IC Institution(s) Investigator(s) Location(s) Year Awarded
3R01NS098826-02S1
PROTEASE ACTIVATED RECEPTOR TYPE 2 TARGETING FOR MIGRAINE PAIN Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management NINDS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DALLAS PRICE, THEODORE J; BOITANO, SCOTT; DUSSOR, GREGORY O; VAGNER, JOSEF RICHARDSON, TX 2018
NOFO Title: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: PA-18-591
Summary:

Migraine is the most common neurological disorder. Currently available treatments fail to effectively manage migraine in most patients. Development of new therapeutics has been slow due in large part to a poor understanding of the underlying pathology of migraine. Endogenous proteases, released in the meninges by resident mast cells, have been proposed as a potential driver of migraine pain via an action on protease activated receptor type 2 (PAR2). The central hypothesis is that PAR2 expression in nociceptors that project to the meninges plays a key role in the pathogenesis of migraine pain. The aims are to: 1) use the established PAR2 development pipeline to design new PAR2 antagonists with improved drug-like properties; 2) use pharmacological tools in a novel mouse migraine model to further understand the potential role of PAR2 in migraine; and 3) use mouse genetics to study the cell type–specific role of PAR2 in migraine pain.
1R43NS115312-01
Long-acting ghrelin for neuropathy Cross-Cutting Research Small Business Programs NINDS EXTEND BIOSCIENCES, INC. SOLIMAN, TARIK Newton, MA 2019
NOFO Title: PHS 2018-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, and FDA for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44] Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: PA-18-574
Summary:

There is a need for safe, effective, well- tolerated drugs to treat painful neuropathy by halting or reversing the underlying pathology of the disease. One promising approach to treating painful neuropathy without opioids is the use of ghrelin, a 28-amino acid acylated peptide hormone. However, it has a short half-life and must be delivered via a constant intravenous infusion to have a therapeutic effect. Extend Biosciences' D-VITylation platform technology is truly enabling for small peptide-based therapeutics that are rapidly cleared from the bloodstream by renal filtration. The platform harnesses the naturally long half-life of vitamin D and its dedicated binding protein, VDBP. When the vitamin D molecule is conjugated to a biological therapeutic, it dramatically improves the half-life and bioavailability of the drug. Use of the technology should also allow the drug to be self-administered by subcutaneous injection. This would be of significant benefit to patients. In this project, the team will test the efficacy of EXT405 in a cell-based model of neuropathy as well as in animal models of CIPN and diabetes- induced neuropathy.
3U24NS112873-03S2
Clinical Coordinating Center for the Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures Program: Administrative Supplement Clinical Research in Pain Management Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures Program NINDS UNIVERSITY OF IOWA SLUKA, KATHLEEN A Iowa City, IA 2021
NOFO Title: Notice of Special Interest to Encourage Eligible NIH HEAL Initiative Awardees to Apply for Administrative Supplements to Support Career Enhancement Related to Clinical Research on Pain (Admin Supp – Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 
NOFO Number: NOT-NS-21-048
Summary:

The Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures (A2CPS) Program aims to identify combinations of biomarkers that predict susceptibility or resilience to the development of chronic pain. This career enhancement award will help a promising postdoctoral trainee gain access to tools and develop skills needed to pursue a career in clinical pain research. The research involves conducting collaborative multi-site cohort studies and analyzing A2CPS data to determine if a combination of metabolic and psychosocial biomarkers can be used to explain pre-surgery differences in pain, function, and disability in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis.
1U19NS130608-01
Human Nociceptor and Spinal Cord Molecular Signature Center Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain NINDS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DALLAS PRICE, THEODORE J (contact); CURATOLO, MICHELE; DOUGHERTY, PATRICK M Richardson, TX 2023
NOFO Title: Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Encourage Eligible NIH HEAL Initiative Awardees to Apply for Administrative Supplements to Support Career Enhancement Related to Clinical Research on Pain
NOFO Number: NOT-NS-22-087
Summary:

This project supports a post-baccalaureate trainee develop skills needed to pursue a career in clinical pain research. The research will use molecular tools to study nerve, joint, muscle, and fascia tissues from individuals with chronic low back pain who had spine surgery. The research will include working with patients, designing clinical studies, and sharing results. 
1R43NS120617-01A1
Chemokine-receptor profiling for painful diabetic neuropathy in biological samples from human clinical trials Cross-Cutting Research Small Business Programs NINDS PLUMERIA THERAPEUTICS, INC. RICHARDSON, THOMAS P (contact); WANG, YIPING Plainsboro, NJ 2021
NOFO Title: HEAL INITIATIVE: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-20-011
Summary:

Chronic pain is a major healthcare burden. However, the types and underlying mechanisms of pain vary greatly, as do patient responses to currently available pain medications. Inflammation in the nervous system (neuroinflammation) is involved in several types of pain, and targeting key molecules involved in neuroinflammation is therefore a promising treatment approach. The chemokine receptor system, a complex network of more than 20 different receptors and more than 80 molecules that bind to these receptors, has a central role in neuroinflammation. Researchers do not yet fully understand the functioning of this network and how specific receptors vary in different chronic pain conditions. Therefore, this project aims to further characterize the expression of one specific receptor, using samples collected from participants in clinical trials evaluating a compound that interferes with the receptor’s function. This information should allow researchers to classify pain patients and identify those most likely to benefit from a treatment with compounds targeting the receptor.