Project 2 - Novel drugs to reverse fentanyl-induced physiologic dysfunction in goats

Abuse of opioids, particularly fentanyl, has led to an opioid epidemic. While opioids are useful drugs to manage pain, when abused they lead to life-threatening conditions through suppression of breathing. Along with our colleagues in the Forster Lab, we are keenly focused on studying the negative consequences of a major cause of the opioid crisis (fentanyl) on breathing, and how novel drugs developed by collaborators at Case Western Reserve University may reverse these effects.

Figure above demonstrates the effects of high dose fentanyl on breathing and muscle EMG activity in adult goats.

Our strategy is to test the dose-dependent effects of fentanyl on respiratory depression, impairment of gas exchange in the lung, and chest wall muscles in a model with similarities to humans - the adult goat. By establishing the negative effects of fentanyl in this model, we can further test if novel drugs are superior to current therapies.

The key to stemming the tide against the opioid crisis is new knowledge regarding the effects of opioids and new therapeutic strategies in reversing these effects.