Preserving opioid analgesia using a novel adenosinergic approach

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Opioid use for the long-term treatment of chronic pain is limited by relatively poor efficacy & the emergence of adaptive CNS changes that result in analgesic tolerance, increase pain (opioid-induced hypersensitivity, OIH) & physical dependence that offset analgesia, pose a health burden & create community abuse liability.1-9 We now implicate for the first time opioid-induced dysfunction in adenosine neuromodulation via the A3 GPCR subtype, adenosine receptor (A3AR) & its control by adenosine kinase (AdK) in analgesic tolerance, OIH, & dependence. This proposal highlights a multidisciplinary research plan aimed at exploring the contribution of the AdK-to-A3AR axis & the breadth of A3AR agonist applicability while investigating its underlying protective mechanism(s) & sites of action in the CNS. Noteworthy, A3AR agonists, such as IB-MECA & its 2-chloro analogue (Cl-IB-MECA), have advanced to Phase II/III clinical trials as novel anti-inflammatory & anticancer agents with good safety profiles.10-13 In Aim 1, we will investigate the temporal & cellular expression of AdK (& its enzymatic activity) & A3AR in SC glia & neurons (immunofluorescence & genetic/proteomic analysis). In parallel, purine nucleoside concentrations in SC & CSF (from lumbar puncture) will be measured by targeted metabolic approaches. We will (1) characterize the pharmacological profile of A3AR agonists via dose- response curves & time course studies as well as effect of gender on A3AR effects & (2) examine the contribution of the SC as a site of action. As a corollary, we will explore the clinical generalization of findings by testing oxycodon & A3AR agonists & examine the contribution of the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), as an additional site of action. In Aim 2, to gather a mechanistic understanding of how A3AR agonism confers protection, we will begin our initial exploration in signaling pathways engaged at the level of the SC dorsal horn. To this end, we will examine using proteomic analysis if the beneficial effects of A3AR agonists are driven, at least in part, by inhibiting the GSK3ß & P2X7R-inflammasome pathways known to govern IL-1ß & neuroinflammation. We will also evaluate if these effects are associated with a switch from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory states with increased IL-10 expression & function. We expect our results to provide a robust scientific foundation for a new translational effort in the treatment of opioid's unwanted side effects that counter-regulate opioid analgesia based upon selective "A3AR-targeted" therapies, while evaluating the potential for translational impact with A3AR agonists already in clinical trials. Selective activation of A3AR would not only transform current approaches to chronic pain, but may benefit other disorders driven by deregulation of adenosine homeostasis (i.e., drug of abuse pathologies).14 This project is a perfect fit for the CEBRA program as it meets its objectives by testing a highly novel & significant hypothesis for which there is scant information & if confirmed, would have substantial impact on current thinking in this field.