Translational Dissection of Cav3.2iPA Molecule Engagement in Human iPSC-Derived Sensory Neurons

Project Description Narrative:

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, the U.S. is experiencing an unprecedented surge in the frequency of opioid-induced deaths, with prescribed opioids accounting for approximately 15,000 deaths per year. Many more patients taking prescribed opioids suffer from addiction, abuse, and other side effects.

According to a report from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, more people die of opioid overdoses in Wisconsin each year than in car crashes. The opioid crisis in the U.S. has spurred efforts to develop non-opioid drugs for chronic pain; nonetheless, these efforts have mostly failed, and no equally effective alternative is currently available for treating chronic pain.

This project is designed to develop a chronic pain treatment that is highly effective, affordable, safe, and flexible (applicable in many settings and against sensory neuronal Cav3.2), having minimal side effects and little to no abuse/addiction liability.