Turning kratom's chemistry into safer pain medicines
Synthetic biology to discover kratom natural product biosynthetic pathways for biased analgesic development
Researchers plan to use natural chemicals from the kratom plant to help create pain medicines that relieve pain without dangerous breathing side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cornell University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ithaca, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11307611 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project looks at how the kratom plant makes its pain-relieving molecules and rebuilds those steps inside yeast so scientists can produce them reliably. The team will find and map the plant enzymes that make mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine and study how those enzymes work together. They will use synthetic biology and new lab methods to detect protein interactions and recreate the pathway in yeast for easier chemical access. If successful, this could provide new compounds for follow-up testing as pain treatments with reduced respiratory risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with moderate to severe chronic pain seeking alternatives to traditional opioids could be eventual candidates for medicines developed from this work.
Not a fit: Patients who need immediate pain relief or whose pain does not respond to opioid-type medicines are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new pain drugs that relieve pain strongly while lowering the risk of life-threatening breathing problems.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory and animal studies show kratom compounds can relieve pain and act differently at opioid receptors, but clinical safety and effectiveness in people are not yet established.
Where this research is happening
Ithaca, United States
- Cornell University — Ithaca, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Sijin — Cornell University
- Study coordinator: Li, Sijin
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.