Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Wake Forest University Health Sciences received a $100,228 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279), awarded November 7, 2026, with completion anticipated June 26, 2029. The project, titled "Role of Synaptogyrin-3 in Methamphetamine Self-Administration and Dopamine Dysfunction," supports basic research investigating novel therapeutic targets for methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Specifically, the research examines the role of synaptogyrin-3 (SYNGR3), a synaptic vesicle protein, in regulating dopamine transmission and drug-seeking behavior, with the objective of developing new pharmacological interventions to address the rising number of methamphetamine-related overdose deaths and the current absence of FDA-approved MUD therapeutics.

The research employs preclinical models to characterize the mechanisms by which SYNGR3 modulation affects methamphetamine self-administration and dopamine system dysfunction. The investigation builds upon prior laboratory findings demonstrating protective effects of SYNGR3 overexpression against cocaine-induced deficits, with preliminary data suggesting differential outcomes in methamphetamine models. Products and deliverables from this award include experimental data, scientific publications, and mechanistic insights into dopamine transporter and vesicular monoamine transporter interactions that may inform future drug development strategies targeting hypodopaminergia—the dopamine deficit state hypothesized to perpetuate chronic methamphetamine use.