How kappa opioid receptors outside the brain cause increased sensitivity to cold
Peripheral Mechanisms of Kappa Opioid Receptor-Mediated Cold Hypersensitivity
The team will look at whether blocking kappa opioid receptors in the body can reduce painful sensitivity to cold for people with neuropathic or chemotherapy-related cold pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11370234 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, the researchers are focused on why some people feel intense pain from cold and whether receptors called kappa opioid receptors (KORs) in peripheral nerves drive that pain. They will use genetic tools and drugs that target KORs outside the brain and observe how those changes affect cold sensitivity, mainly in lab models. The work also explores how KORs interact with other nerve proteins that detect cold to find specific molecular steps that could be targeted by new medicines. Although much of the work is preclinical, the goal is to discover treatments that could later be tested in people with neuropathic or chemotherapy-induced cold pain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who suffer from neuropathic cold pain—such as chemotherapy-induced cold sensitivity, MS-related cold allodynia, or other chronic conditions where cold triggers pain—would be most relevant to this research.
Not a fit: Patients with pain unrelated to cold sensitivity or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this primarily preclinical project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new treatments that lessen painful cold sensitivity without the central side effects of conventional opioids.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have suggested peripheral KORs can change pain behaviors, but human treatments targeting peripheral KORs are not yet established.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Al-Hasani, Ream — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Al-Hasani, Ream
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.