Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Utah received a $500,500 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded March 2, 2026, with a completion date of December 31, 2030. The award funds development and application of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) targeted peptides for biomedical research. Over the five-year project period, the University of Utah's Office of Sponsored Projects will develop a comprehensive library of selective probes targeting nAChR subtypes currently lacking selective ligands, conduct structure-activity-relationship studies to identify novel compounds, and leverage naturally occurring peptides from cone snail venom refined through millions of years of evolution. The research will elucidate the structural, functional, and regulatory mechanisms of nAChRs and determine their functional role in neuropathic pain pathophysiology.

The project deliverables include creation and distribution of potent, precision ligands to the research community that selectively target individual nAChR subtypes, enabling fundamental scientific research and therapeutic development across multiple disease areas including peripheral neuropathic pain, inflammation, tumorigenesis, and stress-induced pathologies. By providing highly selective probes and characterizing nAChR mechanisms of action, this research aims to advance both basic scientific understanding and applied therapeutic development, potentially identifying alternative treatments to opioid-based therapies and serving as lead compounds for innovative neuropathic pain interventions.