Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) awarded The University of Kentucky Research Foundation a Project Grant of $432,754 under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) for the period of June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2028. The research project focuses on developing and testing dual enkephalinase inhibitor-based therapy as a non-opioid intervention to mitigate nociceptive sensitization and withdrawal symptoms in offspring exposed to opioids prenatally. Using animal models of prenatal fentanyl exposure (PFE), the research team will investigate how enkephalin-targeting therapeutics can modulate pain sensitivity and sympathetic nervous system activation in neonates and developing animals, addressing the urgent public health need for evidence-based, non-opioid treatment approaches for opioid withdrawal in newborns born to mothers with opioid use disorder.

This research advances NIDA's mission to support translational and clinical investigation into substance use and addiction by generating fundamental knowledge on novel neurobiological mechanisms and therapeutic targets relevant to opioid-related health outcomes in vulnerable developmental populations. The project addresses a critical gap in the treatment landscape, as current pharmacologic management relies primarily on opioid-based replacement therapy, and there is substantial demand for alternative therapeutic options during early life stages. Findings from this work are expected to contribute to the development of innovative interventions that could improve health outcomes for the growing population of neonates affected by maternal opioid use.