# Bacteriophage virus-like particle based vaccines against oxycodone

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · 2024 · $31,318

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Opioid use disorder (OUD) and associated opioid overdoses are public health crises of increasing severity,
reflected by a staggering 80,000 opioid overdose associated deaths in the United States alone in 2021. Despite
the availability of current treatment strategies including medications for opioid use disorder and medication
assisted treatment (MOUD and MAT), opioid overdoses continue to skyrocket at an alarming rate. Recently,
vaccines targeting opioids were proposed as a novel intervention to combat the growing crisis. Vaccines
targeting opioids have been developed using traditional protein carrier approaches and are entering human
clinical trials. The overall goal of this fellowship is to investigate the efficacy of a Qβ bacteriophage virus-like
particle (VLP) based vaccine targeting oxycodone as a novel treatment to prevent oxycodone overdose.
Bacteriophage VLPs are highly immunogenic vaccine platforms that are well-established to be safe and effective
in humans. This project will be conducted under the central hypothesis that a Qβ VLP conjugated vaccine
targeting oxycodone will offer protection upon cognate drug challenge with limited cross-reactivity. This
hypothesis will be investigated by the following specific aims: Specific Aim 1: Determine the impact of
immunization on drug distribution across the blood-brain barrier. Using high-performance liquid chromatography
mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), drug concentrations will be determined in the blood and brain compartments of
immunized animals. Specific Aim 2: Investigate protection elicited by Qβ-oxycodone upon intravenous drug
challenge. Utilizing whole-body plethysmography (WBP), I will investigate Qβ-oxycodone mediated protection
from opioid induced respiratory depression upon intravenous drug challenge. Specific Aim 3: Examine the impact
of immunization on naloxone efficacy. Using in-vitro and in-vivo approaches, the cross-reactivity of vaccine
elicited antibodies with the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone will be determined. Together, these aims are
focused on the long-term goal to inform effective vaccine design and offer new treatment options for OUD
patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10995261
- **Project number:** 5F31DA059236-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Isabella Romano
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $31,318
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10995261

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10995261, Bacteriophage virus-like particle based vaccines against oxycodone (5F31DA059236-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10995261. Licensed CC0.

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