Project Grant R01DA059646

The Project Grant award R01DA059646, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279), supports research at Rowan University to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms by which the GPR83 receptor pathway interacts with the mu-opioid receptor system in the periaqueductal gray region of the brain. The goal is to determine if targeting the GPR83 receptor could be a viable strategy to reduce the abuse liability of opioid pain medications like morphine and oxycodone while preserving their analgesic effects. The $945,966 award runs from September 30, 2024 to July 31, 2029 and will utilize a combination of biochemistry, neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, and imaging techniques to explore the physical and functional interactions between the GPR83 receptor, its endogenous ligand PEN, and the mu-opioid receptor within the descending pain modulatory pathway. The expected outcome is to validate whether the GPR83 pathway represents a valid target for developing opioid analgesics with reduced abuse potential.