Short-chain fatty acids in chronic jaw (TMJ) pain
Official title: Short-chain fatty acids and chronic temporomandibular joint pain
Funded at Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr · NIH-11258910 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether restoring gut short-chain fatty acids can help ease long-term jaw (TMJ) pain by changing how pain-related genes are controlled.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, United States) |
| Project start | January 5, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $359,813 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE031255-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11258910 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, particularly those with long-standing symptoms not well controlled by current treatments, would be the most relevant candidates for related future trials.
✕Less likely to help
People with acute TMJ injury, predominantly structural jaw problems, or pain clearly unrelated to gut-microbiome factors may not benefit from SCFA-focused approaches.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers aim to see if low gut short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) contribute to chronic TMJ pain and whether returning SCFAs to normal can reduce that pain. They will give SCFA supplementation in lab models to measure effects on pain behaviors and on epigenetic control of pain-related genes such as Gad2. The team will also test whether the vagus nerve is required for SCFA-driven changes in gene regulation and pain. Results are intended to point toward non-opioid, microbiome-informed approaches that could later be tested in people with chronic TMJ pain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new non-opioid treatments (for example, SCFA supplementation or microbiome-based therapies) to reduce chronic TMJ pain.
How similar studies have gone: Early lab and animal studies suggest SCFAs can influence pain and epigenetic regulation, but using SCFA supplementation to treat chronic TMJ pain is largely novel and not yet proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tao, Feng — Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr
- Study coordinator: Tao, Feng
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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.