Swarup Mitra, PhD, MSc
Treating Opioid Use Disorder Using a Novel Class of Psychoplastogens
Summary
Opioid use disorder is a major public health crisis. The existing therapeutic options are limited and fail to reverse the long-lasting changes in the brain function that underlie vulnerability for relapse.
Psychoplastogens are a novel class of drug molecules that are similar to psychedelics. These drugs produce rapid and long-lasting changes in the brain. However, the precise brain mechanisms regulated by psychoplastogens remain elusive.
Using a rat model, my study seeks to unravel how two novel psychoplastogens — DM506 and TBG — counter the addictive effects of opioid consumption. We propose that these new generation psychoplastogens that do not produce hallucinations will reduce opioid-seeking behavior in rodents by altering the brain mechanisms.
I am excited to receive the Faculty Starter Grant from the PhRMA Foundation. This funding will provide necessary financial support to propel drug discovery research in my newly established laboratory, with emphasis on identifying novel psychoplastogens against oxycodone abuse.
