Federal Grant Award Summary

The Medical University of South Carolina received a $211,680 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to support research into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying substance use disorder (SUD) relapse. Awarded August 1, 2026, with a completion date of July 31, 2028, this two-year project investigates the role of NPAS4-positive neuronal ensembles in reward-cue associations and relapse-like behavior. The research focuses on understanding how the nucleus accumbens—a brain region implicated in drug reward processing—encodes associations between environmental cues and cocaine or natural reward through specific populations of medium spiny neurons expressing dopamine D1 and D2 receptors.

The project deliverables include experimental evaluations of the NPAS4-positive neuronal ensemble's role in cue-reinstated cocaine-seeking behavior, characterization of calcium transient dynamics across NPAS4-positive versus NPAS4-negative neurons during multi-phase sucrose and cocaine self-administration paradigms, and identification of reward type-specific ensemble characteristics. By elucidating the underlying mechanisms of drug-cue associations—which affect over 48 million individuals with SUDs in the United States—this research aims to identify novel therapeutic targets for preventing relapse even after prolonged abstinence.