How acid-sensing brain proteins change opioid-driven brain connections
Official title: Investigating a novel regulatory pathway for opioid-induced synaptic plasticity and behavior
Funded at Iowa City VA Medical Center · NIH-11207164 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how tiny changes in brain chemistry and acid-sensing proteins affect opioid-driven changes in the brain to help people with opioid addiction or chronic pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa City VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2019 |
| Project end | September 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX004440-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11207164 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with opioid use disorder, a history of relapse, or chronic pain treated with opioids are the groups most likely to benefit from advances based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without opioid exposure or who do not face opioid-related risks are unlikely to see direct benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
This work focuses on brain circuits in the nucleus accumbens that are involved in opioid reward, craving, and relapse. Scientists are examining how protons released during neurotransmission, the acid-sensing ion channel ASIC1A, and the buffering enzyme CA4 change synapses after opioid exposure. They use laboratory models and behavioral experiments to see how altering these proteins affects synapse structure and addiction-like behaviors. The goal is to find molecular steps that could be targeted to reduce vulnerability to addiction and relapse.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to new biological targets for therapies that reduce opioid addiction, relapse, or harmful effects of chronic opioid use.
How similar studies have gone: Previous laboratory and animal studies have implicated ASIC1A in stabilizing synapses and influencing drug responses, but the specific pathway involving proton signaling and CA4 is relatively new and not yet proven as a human treatment.
Where this research is happening
-
Iowa City VA Medical Center
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wemmie, John a — Iowa City VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wemmie, John a
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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.