Finding genetic links to opioid use and addiction risk in 500,000 diverse people
Multivariate genome-wide association analysis of opioid-related traits in half a million diverse individuals
This project looks for genetic differences that influence how people start using opioids, respond to them, and who develops opioid use disorder using data from about half a million people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11259433 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, researchers are combining genetic and clinical data from many people to study stages from first opioid use through problematic use and addiction. They will analyze millions of genetic variants at once using multivariate genome-wide methods to find genetic patterns tied to initial use, subjective response, escalation, and transition to opioid use disorder. The work pools diverse datasets and biobanks to improve discovery across ancestries rather than enrolling large numbers of new participants at a single clinic. Results are expected to point to biological pathways and possible targets for prevention or new treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with a history of opioid exposure or opioid use disorder, across diverse ancestral backgrounds, would be the primary groups whose data are most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People without opioid exposure or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to gain direct personal benefit from this genetic discovery project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable better prevention strategies, more personalized risk information, and new targets for medications to treat or prevent opioid use disorder.
How similar studies have performed: Large GWAS have already found genetic links for alcohol and tobacco use, but opioid GWAS have been smaller so this larger, multivariate approach aims to reveal new genetic signals.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sanchez Roige, Sandra — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Sanchez Roige, Sandra
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.