# The effects of Ojeok-san on neuro-immune interactions in cancer-induced visceral pain

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT COLUMBIA · 2020 · $249,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Visceral pain is among the most frequent type of pain experienced by patients with advanced cancer. This is
largely mediated by elevated levels of inflammation. Opioid-derived drugs remain the preferred prescribed
analgesic for cancer-induced pain despite their induction of gut dysbiosis, tolerance, liver and kidney toxicity,
and opioid-induced hyperalgesia. For these reasons it is imperative to identify complementary therapies to
treat visceral pain. Ojeok-san is an oriental herbal formula, commonly used in Asian countries for its anti-
inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and analgesic properties. However, its effects on cancer-induced visceral
pain have not yet been examined. The long-term goal is to develop the herbal formula Ojeok-san as a clinically
testable dietary regimen to delay and/or prevent cancer-induced visceral pain. The short-term goal is to
determine the benefits and mechanisms of action of Ojeok-san in a preclinical model of cancer-induced
visceral pain. The central hypothesis is that Ojeok-san attenuates cancer induced visceral pain by polarizing
macrophages to an anti-inflammatory phenotype and decreasing TNF. This hypothesis will be tested in three
related, but independent aims. Specific Aim 1 will assess the benefits of Ojeok-san on cancer-induced visceral
pain; Specific Aim 2 will determine whether Ojeok-san influences macrophage polarization and interaction with
sensory neurons in cancer-induced visceral pain; and Specific Aim 3 will examine whether the analgesic
effects of Ojeok-san in cancer induced visceral pain are mediated through the cytokine TNFα. Collectively, the
proposed studies will elucidate the mechanism of action of Ojeok-san on cancer-induced visceral pain.
Understanding the mechanism by which an herbal formula, such as Ojeok-san, can serve as an analgesic is of
critical importance to the development of novel treatments dedicated to alleviate visceral pain. The research-
training plan in this K99/R00 proposal includes multifaceted guidance and mentoring on complementary and
integrative health, immunology, and neuroscience. Taken together, the training plan, the Mentors, the
Consultants, the External Advisory Committee, the enriched environment at the University of South Carolina
including the Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Center of Dietary Supplements and
Inflammation, and the Center for Colon Cancer Research, will be fundamental for my successful transition to
an independent scientist in the field of complementary medicine in cancer pain.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10004566
- **Project number:** 5R00AT009206-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT COLUMBIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Kandy T Velazquez
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $249,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10004566

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10004566, The effects of Ojeok-san on neuro-immune interactions in cancer-induced visceral pain (5R00AT009206-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10004566. Licensed CC0.

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