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.
Project # | Project Title | Research Focus Area | Research Program | Administering IC | Institution(s) | Investigator(s) | Location(s) Sort descending | Year Awarded |
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1UG3DA051241-01
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Integrated Treatment for Veterans with Co-Occurring Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network (ERN) | NIDA | University of New Mexico | WITKIEWITZ, KATIE A (contact); VOWLES, KEVIN E | Albuquerque, NM | 2019 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network: Clinical Trial Planning and Implementation Cooperative Agreement (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-19-021 Summary: Chronic pain is common, costly, and debilitating. Opioid prescription in the treatment of chronic pain is frequent and carries a consequent risk of poor treatment outcome, as well as higher morbidity and mortality in a clinically significant number of patients, particularly those who meet criteria for opioid dependence. Despite the alarming increases in prescription opiate misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD) nationally in the United States, there are few treatment options available that target both pain-related interference and OUD among patients with chronic pain. In military veterans, this issue is of particular importance as numerous reports indicate frequent use of opioids in the treatment of chronic pain, as well as increasing opioid-related problems. To date, there are no evidence-based treatment options that aim to both reduce pain interference while simultaneously addressing problematic opioid use. The overall aim of this study will be to determine the efficacy of an integrated psychosocial treatment in veterans with chronic pain who are taking buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD. To achieve this aim, they will utilize a randomized design to assess the efficacy of two empirically supported interventions: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for chronic pain and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for substance use and misuse. |
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1UG3NS123958-01
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Development of a CCKBR-targeting scFv as Therapy for Chronic Pain Patients | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | Development and Optimization of Non-Addictive Therapies to Treat Pain | NINDS | UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR | WESTLUND-HIGH, KARIN N (contact); ALLES, SASCHA R | Albuquerque, NM | 2021 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Non-addictive Analgesic Therapeutics Development [Small Molecules and Biologics] to Treat Pain (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-21-010 Summary: Cholecystokinin B receptor (CCKBR) is a molecule found in the brain that helps regulate anxiety and depression but also influences the development of tolerance to opioids. CCKBR levels are also increased in models of nerve injury-induced (neuropathic) pain. Therefore, targeting CCKBR may offer a new approach to treating neuropathic pain and the associated anxiety and depression. Researchers have developed mouse antibodies that can inactivate CCKBR. However, to be usable in humans without causing an immune response, these antibodies need to be modified to include more human sequences. This project will use a fragment of the CCKBR antibody, modify it with the addition of human antibody sequences, and then select the clones that bind most strongly and specifically to human CCKBR. These will then be tested in cell and animal models of neuropathic pain to identify the most promising candidates for further evaluation in humans. |
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3UG3NS123958-01S1
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Neuroimmune Mechanisms of a Humanized CCK-B Receptor scFv as Therapy for Chronic Pain Patients | Cross-Cutting Research | Training the Next Generation of Researchers in HEAL | NINDS | University of New Mexico | WESTLUND-HIGH, KARIN N | Albuquerque, NM | 2022 |
NOFO Title: Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Admin Supp Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: PA21-071 Summary: There are currently few effective therapies available for chronic nerve injury-induced pain, associated anxiety, and depression. This project aims to extend previous research aiming to uncover the mechanism of action of artificially modified immune molecules (humanized cholecystokinin-2 receptor [CCKBR] single-chain variable fragments [scFv]) on human neurons and how it reverses chronic pain and anxiety-like behaviors in mouse models. This potential treatment approach offers important advantages over existing therapies, including extreme specificity, higher affinity, brain/nerve penetrance, safety, and reduced self-immunogenicity. |
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3U01DE025633-03S1
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INVESTIGATION AND MODULATION OF THE MU-OPIOID MECHANISM IN CHRONIC TMD (IN VIVO) | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | NIDCR | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR | DASILVA, ALEXANDRE | ANN ARBOR, MI | 2018 | |
NOFO Title: Biology of the Temporomandibular Joint in Health and Disease (R01)
NOFO Number: PA-14-358 Summary: Initial studies using positron emission tomography (PET) with [11C] carfentanil, a selective radiotracer for ?-opioid receptor (?OR), have demonstrated that there is a decrease in thalamic µOR availability (non-displaceable binding potential BPND) in the brains of TMD patients during masseteric pain compared to healthy controls. ?-opioid neurotransmission is arguably one of the mechanisms most centrally involved in pain regulation and experience. The main goals of our study are: first, to exploit the ?-opioidergic dysfunction in vivo in TMD patients compared to healthy controls; second, to determine whether 10 daily sessions of non-invasive and precise M1 HD-tDCS have a modulatory effect on clinical and experimental pain measures in TMD patients; and third, to investigate whether repetitive active M1 HD-tDCS induces/reverts ?OR BPND changes in the thalamus and other pain-related regions and whether those changes are correlated with TMD pain measures. |
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3U19AR076734-01S3
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University of Michigan BACPAC Mechanistic Research Center | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Back Pain Consortium Research Program | NIAMS | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR | CLAUW, DANIEL J | Ann Arbor, MI | 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: There are numerous pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for chronic low back pain, yet no treatment is universally effective. This award supports an early career physician to develop skills to prepare for a career in clinical pain research in an environment aiming to understand patient characteristics that predict differential responses to pain interventions and thus allow for tailored treatments. This research assesses the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction on pain interference reported by people with chronic low back pain and explores neurobiological effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction through advanced imaging and clinical assessments. |
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3U19AR076734-01S1
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University of Michigan BACPAC Mechanistic Research Center | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Back Pain Consortium Research Program | NIAMS | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR | CLAUW, DANIEL J | Ann Arbor, MI | 2020 |
NOFO Title: Notice of Special Interest to Encourage Eligible NIH HEAL Initiative Awardees to Apply for Administrative Supplements to Promote Training in Clinical Research on Pain (Admin Supp ? Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: NOT-NS-20-044 Summary: There are numerous non-pharmacological interventions for chronic low back pain, yet no treatment is invariably effective for all. Understanding patient characteristics that predict differential responses to these non-pharmacological interventions will allow for tailored treatments to maximize positive patient impact. This supplement supports a training experience for an individual in clinical pain research, including exploring differential response to psychotherapeutic interventions. The aim of the project is to provide an extensive systematic literature review examining baseline phenotypic factors that predict differential responsiveness to the some of the most commonly used psychotherapeutic interventions for chronic low back pain. |
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3UH3DA050173-02S1
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Optimized Interventions to Prevent Opioid Use Disorder among Adolescents and Young Adults in the Emergency Department | New Strategies to Prevent and Treat Opioid Addiction | Preventing Opioid Use Disorder | NIDA | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR | WALTON, MAUREEN A | Ann Arbor, MI | 2021 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) regarding the Availability of Administrative Supplements to Support Strategies to Increase Participant Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement in Clinical Studies
NOFO Number: NOT-NS-21-025 Summary: The emergency department is an ideal venue to reach and intervene with adolescents and young adults at risk for opioid misuse, particularly as young adults may disconnect from primary care when transitioning out of care in pediatric settings. This study will evaluate the efficacy of interventions of varying type and intensity to prevent or reduce opioid misuse or opioid use disorder. The research leverages technology that is appealing to youth to facilitate intervention delivery by health coaches. In this study, adolescents and young adults in the emergency department screening positive for opioid use or misuse will be randomly assigned to one of four intervention conditions with outcomes measured at 4, 8, and 12 months. Technology-driven, scalable interventions delivered via health coaches allow for real-time tailoring to the rapidly changing opioid epidemic, with the potential to prevent an increase in opioid misuse among adolescents and young adults. Black/African American youth are at increased risk for opioid and other substance use, but they often do not participate in research studies. As a result, it is not known how well prevention interventions work with Black/African American people. This supplement will focus on increasing participant diversity and inclusion by recruiting additional Black/African American participants for this ongoing randomized controlled study of technology-driven prevention interventions. |
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3U19AR076734-01S4
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University of Michigan BACPAC Mechanistic Research Center | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Back Pain Consortium Research Program | NIAMS | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR | CLAUW, DANIEL J | Ann Arbor, MI | 2021 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) regarding the Availability of Administrative Supplements to Support Strategies to Increase Participant Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement in Clinical Studies
NOFO Number: NOT-NS-21-025 Summary: Chronic overlapping pain conditions represent up to half of all chronic pain cases and can be more debilitating than other forms of chronic pain. These conditions include but are not limited to the following: temporomandibular disorders, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, vulvodynia, interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, painful endometriosis, chronic tension type headache, migraine headache, chronic low back pain, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Common neurobiological mechanisms have been suspected to account for the overlap between these conditions, but until recently it has been difficult to efficiently classify each condition within individual patients. A digital classification tool for clinicians has been developed for this purpose, but access to the tool remains limited. Here we propose converting this chronic overlapping pain conditions classification tool into a common web-based application format. |
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1U19AR076734-01
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University of Michigan BACPAC Mechanistic Research Center | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Back Pain Consortium Research Program | NIAMS | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR | CLAUW, DANIEL J (contact); HASSETT, AFTON L | Ann Arbor, MI | 2019 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program: Mechanistic Research Centers (U19 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-AR-19-026 Summary: The University of Michigan (UM) will lead a Mechanistic Research Center (MRC) as part of the broader BACPAC initiative that will take patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) and use a patient-centric, SMART design study to follow these individuals longitudinally as they try several different evidence-based therapies while mechanistic studies are overlaid to draw crucial inferences about what treatments will work in what patient endotypes. Interventional Response Phenotyping describes the need in any precision medicine initiative to phenotype participants based on what therapies they do and do not respond to so that one can later link mechanistically distinct disease endophenotypes with those who preferentially respond to therapies targeting those mechanisms. |
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1R43NS125643-01
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Development of an intranasal, direct to nerve treatment for headache disorders | Cross-Cutting Research | Small Business Programs | NINDS | Olfax, LLC | BECKWITH, JONATHAN G (contact); COOK, JASON T | Asheville, NC | 2022 |
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: About 14% of U.S. adults report experiencing migraine symptoms within any given 3-month period, making it the second most disabling illness in the world. Nonspecific pain medications used in migraine (e.g., acetaminophen, nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs, opioids) are often not effective for severe migraine symptoms or cause significant adverse effects. A research team of migraine care specialists, device and drug developers, and clinical research specialists has created a technology for accurately delivering self-administered migraine medication to the upper nasal cavity. The technology enables development of a self-administered therapy to provide rapid pain relief without harsh and addictive side effects of existing migraine medications. This project will establish efficacy and evaluate commercial design feasibility for this treatment. |
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1R61AT012421-01
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Integrative Training Program for Pediatric Sickle Cell Pain | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Advancing Health Equity in Pain Management | NCCIH | EMORY UNIVERSITY | SIL, SOUMITRI | Atlanta, GA | 2022 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Advancing Health Equity in Pain and Comorbidities (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-22-037 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. Optimal treatment of chronic pain from the condition targets psychological factors contributing to pain, such as pain-related anxiety, fear of movement, and depression. This project will interact with patients and their families to revise and test an existing mind–body and behavioral health treatment tool to target the unique needs and preferences of people managing chronic sickle cell disease pain. |
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1R61CA280979-01
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Cancer Pain Management: A Technology-Based Intervention for Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Advancing Health Equity in Pain Management | NCI | EMORY UNIVERSITY | IM, EUN-OK (contact); CHEE, WONSHIK | Atlanta, GA | 2022 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Advancing Health Equity in Pain and Comorbidities (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-22-037 Summary: Asian American women who have survived breast cancer and who also have depression are less likely to receive adequate pain treatment due to cultural stigma attached to breast cancer, cultural attitudes about living with pain and symptoms, and language barriers. This project will use a personalizable, technology-based approach to treat cancer pain and depression in Japanese American, Chinese American, and Korean American women who have survived breast cancer. The intervention will accommodate flexibility, accessibility, and anonymity: three factors that have historically hindered effective pain management for this population of breast cancer survivors. |
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3U19TW007401-14S1
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EXPLORATION, CONSERVATION, & DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE BIODIVERSITY IN FIJI AND THE SOLOMON ISLANDS | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | FIC | GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | HAY, MARK E | ATLANTA, GA | 2018 | |
NOFO Title: Limited Competition: International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (U19)
NOFO Number: RFA-TW-13-001 Summary: This International Cooperative Biodiversity Group application aims to discover and develop small molecule drug leads from cultured marine microbes and diverse coral reef organisms collected from Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Drug discovery efforts will focus on four major disease areas of relevance to the United States and low- and middle-income countries: infectious disease, including tuberculosis and drug-resistant pathogens; neglected tropical diseases, including hookworms and roundworms; cancer; and neurodegenerative and central nervous system disorders. Screening in these therapeutic areas will be performed in collaboration with two major pharmaceutical companies, two highly respected academic groups, and various testing centers and government resources that are available to facilitate drug discovery and development. The acquisition of source material for this program will be linked to biotic surveys, informed by ecological investigations addressing the chemical mediation of biotic interactions, and enriched using ecology-based strategies designed to maximize secondary metabolite production and detection. |
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1U44NS115692-01
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Development and Optimization of MNK Inhibitors for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | Development and Optimization of Non-Addictive Therapies to Treat Pain | NINDS | 4E THERAPEUTICS INC. | SAHN, JAMES JEFFREY | Austin, TX | 2019 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Optimization of Non-addictive Therapies [Small Molecules and Biologics] to Treat Pain - (U44 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-19-020 Summary: MNK-eIF4E signaling is activated in nociceptors upon exposure to pain or peripheral nerve injury, promoting cytokines and growth factors and increasing nociceptor excitability, which leads to neuropathic pain. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of MNK signaling blocks and reverses nociceptor hyperexcitability as well as behavioral signs of neuropathic pain. A clinical phase drug for cancer shows strong specificity as an MNK inhibitor but requires optimization because MNK inhibition in the central nervous system (CNS) may lead to depression, an unacceptable side effect for a neuropathic pain drug. The research team plans a targeted medicinal chemistry and screening campaign directed at generating a MNK-inhibitor-based neuropathic pain treatment with the goal of restricting its CNS penetration while retaining potency, specificity, and in vivo bioavailability and efficacy. |
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3U44NS115692-01S1
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Development and Optimization of MNK Inhibitors for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain | NINDS | 4E THERAPEUTICS INC. | SAHN, JAMES JEFFREY | Austin, TX | 2020 |
NOFO Title: Notice of Special Interest for HEAL Initiative: Request for Administrative Supplements to Existing Grants for Identification and Validation of New Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Targets within the Understudied Druggable Genome
NOFO Number: NOT-TR-20-008 Summary: There is an urgent unmet need for more efficacious analgesics that act via a non-opioid pathway. Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase-interacting kinase 2 (MNK2) is an enzyme that has been implicated in pain signaling, and there is compelling evidence that inhibiting MNK2 has significant pain-reducing effects with few side-effects. Since MNK2 selective inhibitors have not yet been identified, selective inhibition of MNK2 with a small molecule has not been possible. The development of such compounds will enable studies that will illuminate key differences between MNK2 and MNK1. More importantly, from a therapeutic standpoint, highly selective MNK2 inhibitors may prove to have enhanced efficacy and a more favorable side-effect profile than molecules that inhibit both MNK2 and MNK1. This project will support the design and synthesis of at least one MNK2 inhibitor, with >100-fold selectivity over MNK1, that may be developed into a lead compound for treating neuropathic pain. |
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1UG3AR077360-01
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A sequenced-strategy for improving outcomes in patients with knee osteoarthritis pain | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network (ERN) | NIAMS | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | COHEN, STEVEN P (contact); CAMPBELL, CLAUDIA MICHELLE; CASTILLO, RENAN C | Baltimore, MD | 2019 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network: Clinical Trial Planning and Implementation Cooperative Agreement (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-19-021 Summary: The goal of this proposal is to conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of conservative behavioral and nonopioid pharmacological treatments (Phase I) and, among nonresponders, the benefits of nonsurgical procedural interventions (Phase II). Aim 1 will evaluate the effectiveness of individual and combined online cognitive behavioral therapy (painTRAINER) and pharmacologic treatment (duloxetine) in improving pain and function for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients compared with standard of care. Aim 2 will determine if genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation or intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid and steroid is more effective in improving outcomes than local anesthetic nerve block or standard of care and help establish the role of these interventional treatments in the overall management of pain in KOA patients. Aim 3 will test whether clinical and psychosocial phenotypes predict short- and long-term treatment response. |
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1RF1AG068997-01
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Subchondral Bone Cavities in Osteoarthritis Pain | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain | NINDS | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | CAO, XU; GUAN, YUN | Baltimore, MD | 2020 |
NOFO Title: Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Pain Treatment (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-18-043 Summary: A key marker of inflammation in Osteoarthritis (OA) is accompanied by significantly increased sensory innervation within the diseased joint. This study aims to validate the hypothesis that defective bone resorbing cells are responsible for the enlarged bone cavity, giving rise to the inflammatory marker causing further increases in levels sensory innervation and resulting in increased OA pain perception. |
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1R61AT012279-01
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Quantifying and Treating Myofascial Dysfunction in Post Stroke Shoulder Pain | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers, Endpoints, and Signatures for Pain Conditions | NCCIH | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | RAGHAVAN, PREETI | Baltimore, MD | 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: Shoulder pain occurs in many patients who are recovering from a stroke. In addition to impairments in the ability to move, persistent shoulder pain contributes to depression, and often reduces quality of life. Although the cause of post-stroke shoulder pain is complex and not completely understood, it is thought to arise in part to damage of muscles and surrounding connective tissues (myofascial tissues) in the shoulder. This project will use advanced medical imaging techniques to create biomarkers of that can reliably identify myofascial tissues. The research will then test the ability of these biomarkers to monitor, and ultimately predict treatment responses in patients with post-stroke shoulder pain in the context of a randomized controlled clinical trial. |
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1K24AR081143-01
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Mentorship of Junior Investigators on HEAL-SKOAP | Clinical Research in Pain Management | NIAMS | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | Campbell, Claudia Michelle | Baltimore, MD | 2021 | |
NOFO Title: Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (Parent K24 Independent Clinical Trial Required)
NOFO Number: PA-20-193 Summary: The HEAL-funded Sequenced-strategy for Improving Outcomes in People with Knee Osteoarthritis Pain (SKOAP) clinical trial evaluates behavioral, pharmacologic, and procedural interventions for patients with knee osteoarthritis pain. It is designed to mimic clinical care for these patients by first testing the effectiveness of conservative and nonsurgical interventions before considering surgical interventions. It is a large-scale clinical trial with a novel design that evaluates multidisciplinary treatments. Therefore, it offers a unique training opportunity for junior investigators from various disciplines who are interested in pain research and management. This mentoring award will allow a selected investigator to train junior investigators by providing protected, mentorship-focused time. |
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3R01MD009063-05S1
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ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN ENDOGENOUS PAIN REGULATION: PET IMAGING OF OPIOID RECEPTORS | Clinical Research in Pain Management | NIMHD | Johns Hopkins University | CAMPBELL, CLAUDIA MICHELLE | Baltimore, MD | 2018 | |
NOFO Title: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: PA-18-591 Summary: Ethnic groups show substantial variability in the experience of acute and clinical pain, with African Americans (AAs) having more clinical pain conditions and higher levels of pain severity and pain-related disability compared to non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Ethnic differences in opioid neurotransmitters suggest that these systems function less efficiently among AAs and may account for differences in pain and analgesic responses. The overwhelming majority of clinically used opioids elicit their effects through activation of the mu-opioid receptor, making it a relevant target for investigation. We propose to examine ethnic differences in the supraspinal endogenous opioid system using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of mu-opioid receptors employing the mu-selective agonist [11C]carfentanil. Healthy AAs and sex-, age-, SES-matched NHW participants will undergo one baseline (non-pain) and one capsaicin-induced pain PET session using [11C]carfentanil. The current proposal will measure µ-opioid binding potential and examine its role in ethnic group differences in pain sensitivity. |
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1R01DE029074-01A1
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Novel Target Identification for Treatment of Chronic Overlapping Pain Using Multimodal Brain Imaging | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain | NINDS | UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE | TRAUB, RICHARD J; MELEMEDJIAN, OHANNES KEVORK | Baltimore, MD | 2020 |
NOFO Title: Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Pain Treatment (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-18-043 Summary: As many as 64% of patients with Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJDs) report symptoms consistent with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). However the underlying connection between these comorbid conditions is unclear and treatment options are poor. As such, pain management for these Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions (COPCs) is a challenge for physicians and patients. This project will determine whether the convergence of pain from different peripheral tissues and perceived stress occurs in the brain and elicits a change in central neural processing of painful stimuli. This project will identify and validate specific lipids, enzymes and metabolic pathways that change expression in the brain during the transition from acute to chronic overlapping pain that can be therapeutically targeted to treat COPCs. Multi-disciplinary approaches will be used to combine brain imaging, visualization of spatial distribution of molecules, genetics, pharmacological and behavioral research techniques. |
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1UG3NS115108-01A1
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Home-based transcutaneous electrical acustimulation for abdominal pain | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | Translating Discoveries into Effective Devices to Treat Pain | NINDS | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | CHEN, JIANDE | Baltimore, MD | 2020 |
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translational Devices to Treat Pain (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-19-016 Summary: Currently, there are no adequate therapies for abdominal pain in patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a gastrointestinal disorder affecting 14-20% of the US population. More than 40% of IBS patients regularly use opioid narcotics. An alternative treatment for IBS that has been shown to be an effective pain management strategy is electroacupuncture. However its drawbacks include infrequent administration, unclear mechanistic understanding, and lack of methodology optimization. This study will use a noninvasive method of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) by replacing needles with surface electrodes and testing acupoints that target peripheral nerves. Based on prior mechanistic and clinical studies, two stimulation parameters and effective acupoints will be tested. In the UG3 phase, the TEA device and a cell phone app will be optimized for use in IBS abdominal pain, and an acute clinical study will determine the best stimulation locations and parameters. During the UH3 phase, an early feasibility clinical study will be performed in 160 IBS patients in treating abdominal pain. Participants will self-administer the therapy at home/work and will be randomized across four treatment groups to determine the therapeutic potential of the TEA system. |
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1R61NS113269-01
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Validation of a novel cortical biomarker signature for pain | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers, Endpoints, and Signatures for Pain Conditions | NINDS | University of Maryland, Baltimore | SEMINOWICZ, DAVID | Baltimore, MD | 2019 |
NOFO Title: Discovery of Biomarkers, Biomarker Signatures, and Endpoints for Pain (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-18-041 Summary: Chronic pain is a major health burden associated with immense economic and social costs. Predictive biomarkers that can identify individuals at risk of developing severe and persistent pain, which is associated with worse disability and greater reliance on opioids, would promote aggressive, early intervention that could halt the transition to chronic pain. The applicant’s team uncovered evidence of a unique cortical biomarker signature that predicts pain susceptibility (severity and duration). This biomarker signature could be capable of predicting the severity of pain experienced by an individual minutes to months in the future, as well as the duration of pain (time to recovery). Analytical validation of this biomarker will be conducted in healthy participants using a standardized model of the transition to sustained myofascial temporomandibular pain. Specifically the biomarker signature will be tested for its ability to predict an individual’s pain sensitivity, pain severity, and pain duration and will perform initial clinical validation. |
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1R01DK123138-01
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Validation of peripheral CGRP signaling as a target for the treatment of pain in chronic pancreatitis | Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management | Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain | NIDDK | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | PASRICHA, PANKAJ J | Baltimore, MD | 2019 |
NOFO Title: Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Pain Treatment (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-18-043 Summary: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) and the debilitating pain associated with it remains a common and challenging clinical syndrome that is difficult to treat effectively. Using rodent models of CP, preliminary studies have found that nerve growth factor (NGF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFb) appear to be acting by the common effector, calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP), to induce pain in CP. CGRP is known to mediate pain as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, specifically as a potent vasodilator involved in migraine. This project will test the hypothesis that peripheral CGRP is a major mediator of peripheral nociceptive sensitization in CP, and that peripherally restricted anti-CGRP treatment could provide an efficient and sufficient approach for the treatment of pain in pancreatitis |
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3U24TR001609-04S1
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TIN Supplement | Clinical Research in Pain Management | Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network (ERN) | NCATS | Johns Hopkins University | Hanley, Daniel | Baltimore, MD | 2019 |
NOFO Title: CTSA Network - Trial Innovation Centers (TICs) (U24)
NOFO Number: RFA-TR-15-002 |