Funded Projects

Explore our currently funded projects. You may search with all three fields, then focus your results by applying any of the dropdown filters. After customizing your search, you may download results and even save your specific search for later.

Reset
Project # Project Title Research Focus Area Research Program Administering IC Institution(s) Investigator(s) Location(s) Year Awarded
1R61AT012284-01
Electrophysiological and Ultrasound Quantitative Biomarkers for Myofascial Pain Clinical Research in Pain Management Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers, Endpoints, and Signatures for Pain Conditions NCCIH BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER RUTKOVE, SEWARD B (contact); WAINGER, BRIAN JASON Boston, MA 2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Developing Quantitative Imaging and Other Relevant Biomarkers of Myofascial Tissues for Clinical Pain Management
NOFO Number: RFA-AT-22-003
Summary:

Pain in the muscles and surrounding connective tissue (myofascial pain) is a significant and poorly understood health concern affecting hundreds of millions of Americans. There is a great need for tools to assess changes to myofascial tissues in individuals with chronic pain as well as to measure the effect of commonly used therapies. This project will use three imaging tools to look at differences between shoulder tissue in people with myofascial pain compared to those without pain. Using a machine learning approach, this research aims to develop a biomarker signature for myofascial pain, which will be evaluated in a randomized controlled clinical trial based on its ability to predict patient responses to myofascial pain treatments.
1UH3NS115118-01
Transcranial focused ultrasound for head and neck cancer pain. A pilot study Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Translating Discoveries into Effective Devices to Treat Pain NINDS UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ELIAS, WILLIAM JEFFREY Charlottesville, VA 2019
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Clinical Devices to Treat Pain (UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-19-018
Summary:

Head and neck cancer is particularly susceptible to nociceptive and neuropathic pains because it is dense with sensitive anatomic structures and richly innervated. Transcranial magnetic resonance imaging–guided focused ultrasound (FUS) is a new stereotactic modality capable of delivering high-intensity energy through the intact human skull with submillimeter precision. This clinical trial will target the spinothalamic and spinoreticular pain circuits by unilateral FUS mesencephalotomy, an effective procedure for cancer pain but limited by the accuracy of its era. The primary aim is to assess the safety and preliminary effectiveness in six head and neck cancer patients with opioid-resistant pain. Researchers will investigate the potential mechanism of pain relief as the mesencephalotomy target involves the confluence of the ascending and descending pain systems. Aims 2 and 3 will investigate these systems with electrophysiology specific for the spinothalamic tract and carfentenil positron emission tomography imaging that measures the brain’s endogenous opioids.
1R44AR083337-01
Development of a Regional Anesthesia Guidance System to Increase Patient Access to Opioid-Sparing Analgesia for Hip Fracture Pain Cross-Cutting Research Small Business Programs NIAMS RIVANNA MEDICAL, INC. MAULDIN, FRANK WILLIAM Charlottesville, VA 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL INITIATIVE: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management (R43/R44 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-23-006
Summary:

Every year, more than 330,000 Americans are hospitalized for hip fractures. Rapid surgical intervention and pain treatment is critical to recover mobility and reduce other health complications. Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia techniques are an effective alternative to opioid medication, but require specialized training for use in the emergency department. This project will develop and validate an easy-to-use ultrasound-based regional anesthesia guidance system, to ultimately improve access to non-opioid-pain treatment for hip fracture pain.
3UH3DA047714-04S1
Feasibility of Deep Brain Stimulation as a Novel Treatment for Refractory 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 WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY REZAI, ALI R Morgantown, WV 2023
NOFO Title: Feasibility of Deep Brain Stimulation as a Novel Treatment for Refractory Opioid Use Disorder
NOFO Number: PA-20-272
Summary:

Novel treatments for opioid use disorder are critically needed as the addiction and overdose crises continue. Neuromodulation is a promising supplemental treatment to standard care. The overarching project seeks to evaluate low-intensity focused ultrasound that targets the nucleus accumbens, a primary component of the brain’s reward neurocircuitry. This supplement will expand the number of participants in part of the study and will increase the project’s overall impact consistent with the original objectives and aims of the parent grant.
1U18EB029351-01
Development of an MRgFUS system for precision-targeted neuromodulation of pain circuits with simultaneous functional MRI Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Translating Discoveries into Effective Devices to Treat Pain NIBIB VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER CASKEY, CHARLES F (contact); CHEN, LI MIN ; GRISSOM, WILLIAM A Nashville, Tennessee 2019
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translational Development of Devices to Treat Pain (U18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-EB-18-003
Summary:

This project aims to develop a next-generation noninvasive neuromodulation system for non-addictive pain treatments. The research team will build an integrated system that uses magnetic resonance image-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) stimulation to target pain regions and circuits in the brain with high precision. The system will use MR imaging to locate three pain targets commonly used in clinical pain treatments, to stimulate those targets with ultrasound, and to monitor responses of nociceptive pain circuits using a functional MRI readout. Three collaborating laboratories will tackle the goals of this project: (Aim 1) Develop focused ultrasound technology for neuromodulation in humans, compatible with the high magnetic fields in an MRI scanner. (Aim 2) Develop MRI technology to find neuromodulation targets, compatible with focused ultrasound transducers. (Aim 3) Validate the complete MRgFUS neuromodulation system in brain pain regions in nonhuman primates. By the end of the project, the research team will have a fully developed and validated MRgFUS system that is ready for pilot clinical trials in pain management.
1UG3NS135551-01
Translating an MR-guided focused ultrasound system for first-in-human precision neuromodulation of pain circuits Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Translating Discoveries into Effective Devices to Treat Pain NINDS VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER CASKEY, CHARLES F (contact); CHEN, LI MIN Nashville, TN 2023
NOFO Title: Blueprint MedTech Translator (UG3/UH3 - Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: PAR-21-315
1U18EB029354-01
Treating pain in sickle cell disease by means of focused ultrasound neuromodulation Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Translating Discoveries into Effective Devices to Treat Pain NIBIB CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY HE, BIN Pittsburgh, PA 2019
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translational Development of Devices to Treat Pain (U18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-EB-18-003
Summary:

Researchers will develop a novel transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) device for pain treatment and establish its effectiveness for treating sickle cell disease (SCD) pain in humanized mice. The tFUS will target the specific cortical regions involved in SCD pain using a novel non-invasive electrophysiological source imaging technique. The project’s goals have several aims. Aim 1: Develop tFUS devices for pain treatment. The mouse-scale system will be designed to validate the therapeutic effect of stimulating the anticipated cortical targets. This will inform development of the simpler human-scale system, which will use models of the skull to select cost-effective transducers to reach the targets. Aim 2: Evaluate tFUS effectiveness and optimize stimulation parameters in an SCD mice model. Researchers will determine effective tFUS parameters to chronically reduce SCD pain in mice and validate this using behavioral measures. Aim 3: Use electrophysiological source imaging to target and trigger closed-loop tFUS in animal models. This aim also includes performing safety studies to prepare for human trials. The project will develop a transformative, noninvasive tFUS device to effectively and safely treat pain in SCD. 
1R61AT012282-01
Development and Validation of a Multimodal Ultrasound-Based Biomarker for Myofascial Pain Clinical Research in Pain Management Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers, Endpoints, and Signatures for Pain Conditions NCCIH UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH WASAN, AJAY D (contact); KIM, KANG ; PU, JIANTAO Pittsburgh, PA 2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Developing Quantitative Imaging and Other Relevant Biomarkers of Myofascial Tissues for Clinical Pain Management
NOFO Number: RFA-AT-22-003
Summary:

Pain in the muscles and surrounding connective tissues (myofascial pain) can affect many regions of the body and is a key component of chronic low back pain. Patients with chronic low back pain have a range of musculoskeletal problems perpetuating their pain. There is a significant clinical need to identify the components of myofascial pain in people with chronic low back pain. Advances in ultrasound technology have allowed researchers to identify several differences in muscle and connective tissues related to myofascial pain. This project will develop and validate an ultrasound-based biomarker signature for myofascial pain in the low back. This research will also refine the biomarker signature using advanced machine learning approaches, toward future testing in in a randomized controlled clinical trial.
1UH2AR076736-01
Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation of Dorsal Root Ganglion for Noninvasive Mitigation of Low Back Pain Clinical Research in Pain Management Back Pain Consortium Research Program NIAMS UNIVERSITY OF UTAH RIEKE, VIOLA (contact); SHAH, LUBDHA Salt Lake City, UT 2019
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program Technology Research Sites (UH2/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-AR-19-028
Summary:

This project's goal is to develop a completely noninvasive, precise, and durable treatment option for low back pain (LBP). Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a lower-risk, completely noninvasive modality that enables the delivery of spatially confined acoustic energy to a small tissue region (dorsal root ganglion [DRG]) under magnetic resonance (MR) imaging guidance to treat axial low back pain by neuromodulation. The central goal of this study is to demonstrate neuromodulation of the DRG with FUS to decrease nerve conduction; this treatment can be used to attenuate pain sensation. This exploratory study will demonstrate FUS neuromodulation of the DRG in pigs as assessed by somatosensory evoked potential and perform unique behavioral assessments indicative of supraspinal pain sensation, with the ultimate goal of translating this technology to patients with LBP. FUS could potentially replace current invasive or systemically detrimental treatment modalities.
1U18EB030607-01
Non-invasive Nonpharmaceutical Treatment for Neck Pain: Development of Cervical Spine-specific MR-guided Focused Ultrasound System Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Translating Discoveries into Effective Devices to Treat Pain NINDS UNIVERSITY OF UTAH RIEKE, VIOLA Salt Lake City, UT 2020
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translational Development of Devices to Treat Pain (U18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-EB-18-003
Summary:

Neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability and also a significant cause of cervicogenic headaches. Many of the currently available neck pain treatments are invasive with associated risks and complications, particularly because of the complex anatomy. Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound, a novel, completely noninvasive technique, can precisely target spinal facet joints to help ameliorate neck pain, potentially transforming the current practices. The goal of this study is to develop a cervical spine-specific device and demonstrate its safety and efficacy on targeting cervical sensory fibers and the third occipital nerve. The results of these studies will provide an understanding on how to best use this technology for chronic neck pain as well as a basis for translation into human use.
1UG3NS115637-01
Clinical Translation of Ultrasonic Ketamine Uncaging for Non-Opioid Therapy of Chronic Pain Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Translating Discoveries into Effective Devices to Treat Pain NINDS STANFORD UNIVERSITY AIRAN, RAAG D (contact); WILLIAMS, NOLAN R Stanford, CA 2019
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translational Devices to Treat Pain (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-19-016
Summary:

The research team has developed ultrasonic drug uncaging for neuroscience, in which neuromodulatory agents are uncaged from ultrasound-sensitive biocompatible and biodegradable drug-loaded nanocarriers. This project will clinically translate ultrasonic ketamine uncaging for chronic pain therapy. In the UG3 phase, the research team will scale our nanoparticle production processes to human scales and adapt them to pharmaceutical standards. In the UH3 phase, they will complete a first-in-human evaluation of the safety and efficacy of ultrasonic ketamine uncaging by quantifying how much ketamine is released relative to the ultrasound dose and assessing whether the uncaged ketamine can modulate the sensitivity and affective response to pain, in patients suffering from chronic osteoarthritic pain. This project aims to yield a novel, noninvasive, non-opioid therapy for chronic pain that maximizes the therapeutic efficacy of ketamine over its side effects, by targeting its action to a critical hub of pain processing.
2R44MD015912-03
Clinical Optimization of Ultrasonic Drug Delivery Technologies for Underserved Minority U.S. Veterans in Chronic Pain Cross-Cutting Research Small Business Programs NIMHD ZETROZ SYSTEMS, LLC LEWIS, GEORGE KENNETH Trumbull, CT 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Required)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-20-010
Summary:

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases affecting Americans. Osteoarthritis is particularly high among veterans with a service-related disability. This project will develop and refine a wireless ultrasound device that increases the penetration of over-the-counter pain medications into the body, which is expected to reduce pain. The research will conduct safety and clinical testing toward commercializing this technology. 
1UG3DA059407-01
Towards Treatment for the Complex Patient: Investigations of Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound New Strategies to Prevent and Treat Opioid Addiction Optimizing Care for People with Opioid Use Disorder and Mental Health Conditions NIDA INSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH, INC. LEE, MARY (contact); LEGON, WYNN Washington, D.C 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Therapeutics Development for Opioid Use Disorder in Patients with Co-occurring Mental Disorders (UG3/UH3 - Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-049
Summary:

Patients with opioid use disorder and co-occurring chronic pain and anxiety are at the highest risk for opioid overdose deaths. Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is an innovative, noninvasive method that can be used to alter brain activity and potentially repair dysfunctional brain circuits involved in these disorders. This project will examine how LIFU directed to a small but critical brain region implicated in all three of these disorders, the anterior insula, can reduce drug craving, pain response, and anxiety symptoms as well as improve the physiological processes that may underlie the symptoms experienced by these patients.