Cold-triggered numbing for on-demand pain relief
Official title: Cold triggered Local Anesthesia for Pain Management
Funded at University of Massachusetts Amherst · NIH-11468137 · Data updated 2026-11-12
An injectable that stays inactive until the area is cooled, releasing a tiny amount of a powerful numbing drug to give on-demand local pain relief.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Massachusetts Amherst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hadley, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $254,726 |
| NIH project number | 7R01GM144388-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11468137 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who need localized, short-term pain control for procedures or postoperative pain and who want the ability to turn numbness on and off could be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who require general anesthesia, have cold sensitivity or circulation problems, have allergies to formulation components, or whose pain cannot be managed with local blocks may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers are developing an injectable that traps a very small amount of a potent local anesthetic (tetrodotoxin) inside temperature-sensitive polymersomes. When the treated area is cooled, the polymersomes break down and release the drug to create targeted numbness, while remaining sealed at normal body temperature to prevent unwanted numbness. The approach aims to reduce accidental drug release, allow many repeat trigger events from a single injection, and use inexpensive, noninvasive cold therapy instead of light or ultrasound. Initial work will measure safety and pain control in lab and preclinical models with the goal of later testing in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could let patients trigger focused, repeatable local numbness on demand with fewer side effects and simpler equipment than other on-demand systems.
How similar studies have gone: Other on-demand injectable systems triggered by light or ultrasound have shown promise but faced limitations, so combining cold-triggering with TTX and polymersomes is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Hadley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhao, Chao — University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Study coordinator: Zhao, Chao
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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.