Blocking EphB1/2 to treat peripheral nerve (neuropathic) pain
Official title: Identification of novel lead EphB1/2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting peripheral neuropathic pain
Funded at Texas Tech University Health Scis Center · NIH-11290725 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work is developing new non-opioid drugs that target EphB1/2 signaling to reduce peripheral neuropathic pain for people with nerve injury or chronic nerve pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Tech University Health Scis Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lubbock, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $388,400 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS136485-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11290725 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with chronic peripheral neuropathic pain from nerve injury or similar causes who have not found relief with current therapies would be the most likely eventual candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose pain is not neuropathic (for example primarily inflammatory, central pain syndromes, or acute post-surgical pain) may not benefit from EphB1/2-targeted drugs.
What this research studies
If you have peripheral neuropathic pain, this project focuses on creating small molecules that specifically block the EphB1/2 tyrosine kinase, a protein linked to nerve pain in lab models. The team builds on prior animal studies showing that removing EphB1 or using certain antibiotics can reverse pain behaviors after nerve injury. Researchers will design and test new chemical inhibitors, measure how well they bind and block EphB1/2, and test them in established nerve-injury pain models. The goal is to find more potent, selective compounds that relieve or prevent peripheral neuropathic pain without relying on opioids.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a targeted, non-opioid treatment option to reduce nerve-related chronic pain and lower reliance on opioid medications.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical animal studies, including EphB1 knockout mice and trials of certain tetracycline antibiotics, showed promising pain reversal, but selective EphB1/2 inhibitors for human use are novel and remain untested in people.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas Tech University Health Scis Center
Lubbock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ahmed, Mahmoud Salama — Texas Tech University Health Scis Center
- Study coordinator: Ahmed, Mahmoud Salama
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.