How benzodiazepines act when used with other drugs
Benzodiazepine Choice and Polydrug Use
This project looks for benzodiazepine-like drugs that are less likely to be misused or cause harm for people with substance-use problems who use multiple drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Mississippi Med Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Jackson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11258855 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers are studying different benzodiazepine-type compounds to see which ones are less likely to be chosen or misused when other drugs are involved. They will use laboratory choice models and prior clinical data to compare how drug history — for example prior cocaine or opioid exposure — changes who self-administers these compounds. The work focuses on the brain receptor subtypes that drive misuse, especially the a1-containing GABAA receptors, and on common polydrug combinations tied to overdoses. Findings are meant to guide development of benzodiazepine drugs with lower abuse risk in people who use multiple substances.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The most relevant patients would be adults with anxiety who also have a history of substance-use disorder or who use benzodiazepines together with opioids, cocaine, or other drugs.
Not a fit: People who use benzodiazepines only as prescribed without a history of polydrug use may not see direct benefits from this research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to benzodiazepine-type medicines that carry less risk of misuse and overdose for people with substance-use disorders who use multiple drugs.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal and laboratory studies suggest that compounds avoiding a1-containing GABAA receptors can show lower abuse potential, but translating those findings to people and to polydrug situations remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
Jackson, United States
- University of Mississippi Med Ctr — Jackson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huskinson, Sally L — University of Mississippi Med Ctr
- Study coordinator: Huskinson, Sally L
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.