Targeting the brain's nociceptin system to prevent alcohol relapse
The Nociceptin ORL1 System: Treatment Target for Relapse
This project tests a new drug that blocks classic opioid receptors while turning on the nociceptin (NOP) system to reduce drinking and relapse in people with alcohol use disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Scripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11098618 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are developing a drug called BU10119 that both blocks traditional opioid receptors and activates the brain's nociceptin system. They are testing how a single dose affects alcohol drinking and whether it reduces relapse-like behavior compared with the approved drug naltrexone. Most experiments are being done in rats to study drinking, stress- or context-triggered seeking, and the brain circuits involved. The team will use those results to understand whether this dual-action approach could be more effective than existing medicines.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with alcohol use disorder who have trouble maintaining abstinence or who relapse despite current medications would be the most likely candidates for future trials based on this work.
Not a fit: People without alcohol use disorder or whose drinking problems are unrelated to the opioid/nociceptin systems are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to a new medication that reduces alcohol use and prevents relapse for people who do not benefit from current treatments like naltrexone.
How similar studies have performed: Naltrexone is an approved treatment that helps some people, and animal studies already show that activating NOP can reduce alcohol intake, but the combined MOP/DOP/KOP blockade with NOP activation represented by BU10119 is a novel approach not yet tested in people.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Scripps Research Institute, the — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weiss, Friedbert — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: Weiss, Friedbert
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.