Targeting the NAAA enzyme for non‑addictive pain relief
The lipid hydrolase NAAA as a target for non-addictive analgesic medications
Developing a new kind of pain medicine that blocks the NAAA enzyme to relieve acute and chronic pain without causing addiction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11131275 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project works on a lab pathway that controls a natural pain‑blocking lipid (PEA) and tests drugs that stop the enzyme NAAA from breaking it down. Most experiments so far use mice and a candidate drug (ARN19702) to see if blocking NAAA reduces pain behaviors without producing reward or addiction. The team also compares animals that lack or overexpress NAAA to understand which cells and signals are involved in pain relief. If studies continue to be promising, the goal would be to move toward medicines that could be tested in people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with acute or chronic painful conditions who are seeking alternatives to opioid painkillers would be the eventual candidates for therapies developed from this work.
Not a fit: Right now the work is preclinical, so people without pain or those needing immediate treatment would not benefit directly from these lab studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to pain medicines that relieve pain but have little or no abuse potential compared with opioids.
How similar studies have performed: Related preclinical studies and a meta‑analysis have shown promising pain relief from NAAA inhibitors in animals, but human testing has not yet been reported.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Piomelli, Daniele — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Piomelli, Daniele
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.