Stemonix Contributes to HEAL Initiative with Research on the Brain’s Response to Opioids

Minnesota biotech firm Stemonix has joined the federal HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative of the National Institutes of Health to assess how human brain cells respond to opioids, according to a recent article from the Star Tribune. Stemonix co-founder and CEO Ping Yeh speaks on the initative:

NCATS’ goal “is to find the best model to advance new discoveries. It turns out that the human microBrains that we make from iPSCs have receptors to the opioid [compounds], and can be used as a model to find other potential therapeutics that are less addictive and have less issues like withdrawal symptoms.”

If the research is successful, the opioid-response model could be used to screen drug compounds for the signature opioid response, helping researchers determine which compounds present fewer addictive issues.

The HEAL Initiative Research Plan consists of 26 research projects aimed towards reducing opioid related deaths, as detailed on the National Institutes of Health website.

Read the Star Tribune article here, or find medically assisted treatment for opioid addiction in Minnesota through our directory.