Cannabidiol for reducing heroin's addictive effects and breathing problems
Functional efficacy of cannabidiol in modulating the adverse effects of heroin in primates.
Seeing if cannabidiol (CBD) reduces heroin's tendency to cause drug-seeking and dangerous breathing problems in primates to guide possible future treatments for people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11250396 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will give heroin and cannabidiol (CBD) to non-human primates and monitor changes in drug-seeking behavior and breathing. They will compare CBD's effects with clinically used medications such as naltrexone and buprenorphine. The team will run behavioral assays that reflect abuse liability and measure respiratory depression to see if CBD lessens these harms. This primate work builds on rodent findings and is intended to inform whether human trials should be pursued.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with heroin or other opioid use disorder, or those at high risk of opioid overdose, would be the likely candidates for future clinical trials informed by this research.
Not a fit: People who are not affected by opioid use or who need immediate clinical care are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this preclinical primate research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to CBD as a treatment that lowers heroin craving and reduces overdose-related respiratory depression.
How similar studies have performed: Rodent studies have shown promise that CBD can reduce heroin-seeking triggered by drug cues, but evidence in humans is still very limited.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ko, Mei-Chuan — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Ko, Mei-Chuan
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 below.