Understanding the body's natural pain relief system
Official title: Endogenous opioid regulation of locus coeruleus-mediated analgesia
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11127770 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how our body's natural pain-fighting chemicals work in a specific brain area to help manage chronic pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $498,949 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS135401-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11127770 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients, but future studies building on this work may seek individuals experiencing chronic neuropathic pain.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without chronic neuropathic pain or those seeking immediate treatment options would not directly benefit from this basic science research.
What this research studies
Our bodies have natural systems to control pain, including chemicals called opioids and a brain region known as the locus coeruleus. This project aims to understand how these natural opioids interact with the locus coeruleus to reduce pain. We want to learn if long-term nerve injury, which causes chronic pain, changes this natural pain-relief system. By understanding these changes, we hope to find new ways to help people with chronic pain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for treating chronic pain by enhancing the body's own pain-fighting mechanisms.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific mechanisms are still being uncovered, other studies have shown the importance of the locus coeruleus and opioid systems in pain modulation.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mccall, Jordan G. — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Mccall, Jordan G.
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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.