Gut–brain link in teen and young adult opioid addiction
Official title: The adolescent microbiome-gut-brain axis as a potential target in opioid abuse disorders
Funded at Oklahoma State University Stillwater · NIH-11335600 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether changes in the gut microbiome and a common brain gene (BDNF Val66Met) influence how opioids affect adolescents and young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oklahoma State University Stillwater NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stillwater, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $220,838 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM152333-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11335600 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal future participants would be adolescents or young adults with opioid use or dependence who are interested in microbiome‑based approaches or in contributing samples for related studies.
✕Less likely to help
People without opioid misuse or those outside the adolescent/young adult age range (and possibly those without the BDNF variant) are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this preclinical work.
What this research studies
From a patient point of view, researchers are using a mouse model that carries a common human BDNF gene variant to mimic adolescent oxycodone use and withdrawal. They will track how oxycodone changes gut bacteria and related chemicals, including short‑chain fatty acids and kynurenine metabolites. The team will test whether fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) can reverse opioid‑linked gut changes in mice with the BDNF variant. This work is an early step toward understanding whether the gut microbiome could be a target for treating opioid problems that begin in adolescence.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new microbiome‑based ways to prevent or treat opioid addiction that starts in adolescence.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies link gut microbes to drug‑related behaviors and show FMT can change behavior in models, but applying this specifically to adolescent opioid use and the BDNF Val66Met variant is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Oklahoma State University Stillwater
Stillwater, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vazquez Sanroman, Dolores Beatriz — Oklahoma State University Stillwater
- Study coordinator: Vazquez Sanroman, Dolores Beatriz
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.