Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Minnesota, through its Office of Sponsored Projects Administration, received a $423,500 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) on April 1, 2026, with a completion date of March 31, 2028. This research initiative will investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting muscarinic M5 receptors as a novel treatment approach for substance use disorders (SUDs). The project addresses a critical gap in addiction research by examining how stress-induced disruption of M5 receptor signaling in dopamine neurons increases vulnerability to drug reward and addiction. The research will employ advanced neuroscientific methodologies, including the cocaine conditioned place preference assay and selective genetic manipulation of dopamine neurons, to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying stress-potentiated drug reward.

The project will generate novel preclinical research findings regarding M5 receptor regulation of dopamine transmission under stress conditions and will evaluate positive allosteric modulators as potential therapeutic interventions to mitigate stress-induced enhancement of drug reward sensitivity. By integrating stress factors into substance use disorder models and characterizing dopamine-specific M5 signaling, this research will provide critical foundational knowledge to support rational drug design and development of more effective addiction treatments. The deliverables will contribute to NIDA's mission to advance prevention, diagnosis, and treatment approaches for substance use and addiction through basic neuroscience research conducted at the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus.