Serotonin-containing brain cells that help breathing when opioids are used
Official title: Project 4: Serotonergic cell subtypes ameliorate sleep-disordered breathing in the setting of opioids
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11415650 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how certain brain serotonin cells can reduce opioid-related sleep breathing problems while keeping pain relief.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $375,152 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL149630-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415650 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participation in this grant as described (preclinical mechanistic studies in animals).
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient participation or benefit is described in this grant.
What this research studies
This project looks at how specific serotonin-producing neurons in the brainstem can lessen or prevent breathing problems caused by opioids during sleep, without blocking pain relief. Scientists will study the Tac1-Pet1 neuron group to see how they influence airway tone and breathing and why they are less affected by opioids. The work will use animal models to test neuron activation and its effects on breathing patterns during opioid exposure. Early data suggest that activating these neurons could improve breathing without compromising analgesia. The study could lay the groundwork for new approaches to safer pain management for patients requiring opioids.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to strategies that reduce opioid-related sleep breathing problems while preserving pain relief.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data indicate that specific neuron subtypes may modulate respiration in the context of opioids, suggesting potential for positive translational impact.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vanderhorst, Veronique — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Vanderhorst, Veronique
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding and targeting negative effort dependence in sleep apnea
A doctor-scientist team is studying how breathing effort changes within breaths in sleep apnea to find better ways to prevent airway collapse.
-
Night-to-night sleep-disordered breathing differences in women and men
A study to find better biomarkers for sleep apnea severity, especially in women, by monitoring people at home for a week and tracking daily mood and energy.
-
Sleep factors in obesity and diabetes linked to dementia risk in Look AHEAD participants
This study looks at how sleep problems and daily activity rhythms relate to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes who were part of the Look AHEAD trial.
-
Melanocortin-4 receptor drugs to help sleep apnea in obesity
A study tests MC4R-activating drugs to help people with obesity-related sleep-disordered breathing who struggle with current treatments.
-
Serotonin brain circuits to support breathing during opioids and sleep problems
This grant investigates how specific serotonin-producing brain cells can help keep breathing and airway muscles working when people take opioids and have sleep-disordered breathing, without affecting pain relief.
-
Sleep disorders in veterans with spinal cord injury or disease
A nationwide VA study will look at how common sleep-disordered breathing is in veterans with spinal cord injury or disease and how it relates to sleep, cognition, and heart health.
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.