Project Grant R16GM165172
- The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded West Virginia University Research Corporation $345,650 on September 1, 2026, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to conduct structural and mechanistic studies of receptor guanylyl cyclases, with research focused on elucidating ligand specificity and activation mechanisms of GC-B and GC-C subtypes. The research builds on previously determined cryo-electron microscopy structures of GC-A and extends...
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Virginia Commonwealth University $684,736 under Project Grant R01DA063716 on August 15, 2026, to investigate mu opioid receptor trafficking and signaling at neuronal primary cilia. The research comprises three integrated aims. Aim 1 investigates mu opioid receptor trafficking at cilia, focusing on agonist-induced desensitization, internalization, and phosphorylation. Aim 2 defines the recycling pathway's role in ciliary targeting and uses proximity...
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Virginia Commonwealth University $177,216 on January 11, 2026, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to conduct research on muscarinic receptor modulation as a pharmacological approach to stimulant use disorder. The project, titled "Muscarinic Receptor Mediation of Cocaine-Dependent Reward Signals: Impact of Pharmacological Modulation," investigates how M1 and M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes...
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco $200,880 on July 1, 2026, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to conduct research on the spatiotemporal dynamics of G protein signaling by opioid receptors. The research investigates how mu-opioid receptors trigger cellular signaling pathways across multiple subcellular compartments, particularly endosomes, to advance understanding of opioid function relevant to...
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Yale University $659,834 on June 15, 2026, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to investigate cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) availability in individuals with opioid use disorder. The study uses [11C]OMAR PET imaging to assess CB1R availability in 55 early abstinent individuals with opioid use disorder following inpatient buprenorphine stabilization and 55 matched healthy controls (total N=110). Individuals with...
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded the University of Florida $380,192 on October 14, 2025, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to determine the molecular arrangement of GABABR-GIRK signaling cascades. The award funds research into how GABAB receptors and G protein-coupled inward rectifying potassium channels interact and organize as a signaling cascade. Drugs of abuse including morphine, cannabinoids, cocaine, and gamma-hydroxybutyrate disrupt inhibitory...
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded the Trustees of Boston University $164,190 on January 9, 2026, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to conduct basic research on the role of the GAZ protein in opioid-induced behavioral responses. The research investigates how the G alpha Z (GAZ) protein mediates mu-opioid receptor signaling in specific brain regions to distinguish analgesic pathways from addiction-related pathways. The work uses conditional knockout...
- This federal Project Grant award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Biomedical Research and Research Training Program (CFDA 93.859) will provide $350,000 to Creighton University to investigate the effects of environmental enrichment on the abuse liability of minor cannabinoids such as delta-8-THC and CBD. The research aims to determine if adolescent exposure to high- or low-novelty environments can alter sensitivity to these cannabis compounds using animal models....
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded The Medical University of South Carolina $211,680 under NIDA's Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) on August 1, 2026. The recipient will conduct mixed-methods research characterizing hemp-derived alternative cannabinoid product use in natural settings. The project comprises two national, decentralized studies: an online survey and a six-month naturalistic ecological momentary assessment study. Research will assess alternative...
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute a Cooperative Agreement for $3.855 million on April 15, 2026, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to develop neurotensin receptor 1 allosteric modulators for the treatment of pain and opioid use disorder. The award funds research on SBI-553, a novel arrestin-biased allosteric modulator of neurotensin receptor 1 (NTR1) that demonstrates...
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded Marshall University Research Corporation $147,500 on August 1, 2026, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to dissect G protein versus β-arrestin-mediated signaling pathways in the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1). The research develops and characterizes a phosphorylation-deficient CB1 receptor that cannot signal through β-arrestin but retains G protein signaling capacity, enabling distinction between these two signaling mechanisms. CB1 is a G protein-coupled receptor expressed in the central nervous system that modulates synaptic transmission, pain perception, motor activity, appetite, and memory. While CB1 agonists hold therapeutic potential for chemotherapy-induced nausea, cancer-associated pain, neuropathic pain, epilepsy, ischemic stroke, Parkinson's disease, and traumatic brain injury, clinical use is limited by adverse psychotropic effects, tolerance, and dependence. Biased agonists that selectively engage either G protein or β-arrestin signaling (but not both) could separate therapeutic benefits from adverse effects; however, the specific functional contributions of β-arrestin signaling independent of G proteins remain unclear. The phosphorylation-deficient CB1 receptor and associated mouse and cell line models provide tools to distinguish these pathways and inform the development of therapeutically superior CB1 ligands. Performance is located in Huntington, West Virginia. The period of performance runs through March 31, 2030.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $147.5k | 7/21/26 |