Spinal NTSR2: a potential new target for pain relief
Validation of Spinal Neurotensin Receptor 2 as an Analgesic Target
This work is developing a non-opioid spinal approach to ease severe neuropathic and post-surgical pain by targeting a spinal receptor called NTSR2.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10795698 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be hearing about research that follows up on a snail-venom peptide (Contulakin‑G) that helped some people with spinal cord injury pain in an early pilot. The team is studying a spinal receptor called NTSR2 to see whether turning it on can block pain signals in the spinal cord without opioid side effects. They are using laboratory experiments and animal models to map the mechanism and test whether NTSR2 activation reduces pain-like responses. If the results are promising, the findings would guide development of safer spinal pain medicines for future human testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with severe, hard-to-treat spinal or neuropathic pain—such as spinal cord injury pain, failed back surgery pain, cancer pain, or major post-operative pain—would be the likely candidates for future therapies arising from this work.
Not a fit: Patients with mild pain, pain unrelated to spinal cord mechanisms, or conditions requiring only systemic therapies are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific spinal-target research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new non-opioid spinal treatments that relieve severe neuropathic or post-surgical pain with fewer side effects than current spinal analgesics.
How similar studies have performed: A small Phase 1A pilot with the related peptide Contulakin‑G showed pain relief in some people, and animal studies support the NTSR2 mechanism, but the approach still needs validation and better drug-like compounds.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patwardhan, Amol M — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Patwardhan, Amol M
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.