DNA breaks and repair in opioid addiction
Official title: The role of DNA breaks and repairs in opioid addiction
Funded at University of Kansas Lawrence · NIH-11393755 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how DNA damage and repair in brain cells may influence opioid addiction and relapse in people and animal models.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Lawrence NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $459,000 |
| NIH project number | 5DP1DA056804-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393755 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with opioid use disorder or individuals at risk of relapse who might benefit from future therapies targeting DNA repair pathways.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without opioid exposure are unlikely to directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Opioid addiction is a relapsing brain disease, and this study explores how changes in DNA breaks and the repair process in brain regions like the prefrontal cortex might drive harmful gene activity linked to addiction. Using both human/postmortem tissue and animal models, the research examines how these DNA damage events affect chromatin and gene expression over time. The team uses cutting-edge tools to map DNA breaks, explore epigenetic changes, and test whether altering repair pathways can modify addictive behaviors. Findings could reveal new biological targets for preventing relapse and improving treatment options for opioid use disorder.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of the brain’s DNA repair processes could lead to new strategies to prevent relapse in opioid use disorder.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work links DNA damage with addiction-related brain changes, supporting the plausibility of these mechanisms though translation to therapies is still developing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Lawrence
Lawrence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Zijun — University of Kansas Lawrence
- Study coordinator: Wang, Zijun
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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.