Treating brain inflammation in people who use both opioids and stimulants
Official title: Investigating anti-neuroinflammatory therapeutics for polysubstance use disorders
Funded at East Tennessee State University · NIH-11199316 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing whether reducing brain inflammation could help people who use both fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | East Tennessee State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Johnson City, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $142,100 |
| NIH project number | 1R16GM159685-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11199316 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who use both fentanyl (or other synthetic opioids) and methamphetamine and who experience dependence or withdrawal would be the most relevant group for future trials based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People who only use a single drug (only opioids or only stimulants) or whose problems are unrelated to drug-induced brain inflammation may not benefit from findings focused on polysubstance-driven inflammation.
What this research studies
Researchers will use a new lab model where animals receive fentanyl and methamphetamine together to mimic polysubstance use. They will measure brain inflammation and withdrawal-related behaviors, focusing on the inflammatory signal TNFα and the brain messenger hypocretin/orexin. Key brain regions involved in stress and craving (the extended amygdala and hypothalamus) will be examined to see how these signals drive inflammation during withdrawal. The team will test anti-inflammatory approaches in the model to see if reducing inflammation changes withdrawal behaviors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to anti-inflammatory strategies that lessen withdrawal symptoms or reduce relapse risk for people who use both opioids and stimulants.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies with single drugs have linked neuroinflammation to withdrawal and shown some benefit from anti-inflammatory approaches, but applying this to combined fentanyl-plus-methamphetamine models is new.
Where this research is happening
-
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schmeichel, Brooke E — East Tennessee State University
- Study coordinator: Schmeichel, Brooke E
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.