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Understanding the biological underpinnings of pain and substance use disorders to identify new therapeutic targets.
Novel Targets for Substance Use Disorders and Overdose
Developing new treatments for substance use disorders depends on identifying novel biological targets and molecular pathways underlying addiction, relapse, and recovery. Recent advances in molecular profiling — including single-cell transcriptomics, proteomics, genetic approaches, and AI-driven analysis of large datasets — are accelerating target identification by revealing the complex network interactions that drive these conditions. Simultaneously, innovations in drug discovery, such as virtual screening of large compound libraries, DNA-encoded library screening, and generative AI, are speeding up the identification and optimization of promising drug candidates. This program seeks to support research leveraging these technologies to identify druggable new targets for substance use disorder treatment and management of its common co-occurring conditions such as chronic pain, HIV, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Email: HEALquestion@od.nih.gov