# Project 2: Acute Cocaine Sensitivity and Chronic Sensitization

> **NIH NIH P50** · JACKSON LABORATORY · 2020 · $142,663

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY PROJECT 2 – COCAINE SENSITIVITY AND SENSITIZATION
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease that begins with initial exposure, followed by escalating and
uncontrolled use of the drug. However, not every individual who is exposed to drugs will develop addiction. In
humans, initial sensitivity to psychostimulants has been shown to predict subsequent chronic drug use, and
neuroadaptations following repeated use are thought to contribute to drug craving and risk of relapse. Acute
locomotor activation and chronic locomotor sensitization to psychostimulants have been developed as animal
models of initial sensitivity and neuroadaptive changes. Individual differences in these behaviors have been
shown to be due, in part, to genetic differences. However, identifying specific genes has been a challenge
using existing animal models. This Project utilizes two new mouse populations that have been designed to
study complex traits, the Collaborative Cross (CC) and Diversity Outcross (DO). These populations have
increased genetic and phenotypic variability and recombination that results in more precise mapping. Using a
combination of behavioral phenotyping and gene expression analysis, the CC and DO will be used to identify
genes and gene networks that contribute to phenotypic variation for both acute locomotor sensitivity and
sensitization. CC lines that exhibit extreme phenotypes will be further characterized to determine whether
pharmacokinetic variation is responsible for behavioral differences, or whether cocaine sensitivity correlates
with dendritic spine density in the nucleus accumbens. The CSNA brings together a team of scientists with
expertise in various aspects of addiction-related behavior, and a common goal – identifying the underlying
genetics of addiction-related phenotypes and advancing our understanding of the shared genetic etiology that
underlies specific processes of addiction. Using an integrative experimental platform we will be able to uncover
the biological basis of the relationship between initial drug response, sensitization, neuroadaptation and
addiction related behaviors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9933850
- **Project number:** 5P50DA039841-05
- **Recipient organization:** JACKSON LABORATORY
- **Principal Investigator:** Lisa M Tarantino
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $142,663
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9933850

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9933850, Project 2: Acute Cocaine Sensitivity and Chronic Sensitization (5P50DA039841-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9933850. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*