A new, $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow UNMC researchers to investigate ways to define and mitigate placental and fetal alterations caused by maternal oxycodone exposure.
Gurudutt Pendyala, PhD, Robert Lieberman Endowed Professor of Anesthesiology, is collaborating with Lynda Harris, PhD, associate professor in the UNMC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, on the multi-PI research project grant (RO1) that began in August and runs through July 2026.
Dr. Pendyala’s research largely focuses on addiction, maternal-fetal medicine, infectious diseases, environmental toxins and the role of biopsychosocial factors in health disparities. Dr. Harris’ lab studies normal and abnormal placental development and function, develops new therapies for pregnancy complications and uses targeted nanomedicines to selectively deliver drugs to the placenta. Overall, the new collaboration will better support and treat pregnancies affected by maternal opioid use disorder.
The study aims to identify pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the effects of oxycodone on placental and fetal brain development, in addition to the resulting behavioral deficits observed in early infancy. Drs. Pendyala and Harris will team with John Davis, PhD, from obstetrics, and Eric Peeples, MD, PhD, from pediatrics, for the three-year study.
“We hope to also assess whether melatonin supplementation can reduce this pathology,” Dr. Pendyala said.
Dr. Harris said: “As the placenta is the key regulator of fetal growth, finding interventions to help the placenta function optimally when exposed to opioids is just as important as protecting the fetus from damage.”
One and a half percent of pregnant women self-report misuse of prescription opioids, and almost 80 newborns a day are diagnosed with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome in the United States.
“In utero opioid exposure causes fetal growth restriction, alters fetal brain development and causes deficits in cognition, motor skills and behavior in affected children,” Dr. Pendyala said.
Mohanad Shukry, MD, PhD, interim chair of the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology, pointed to the potential impact of Dr. Pendyala’s work.
“Dr. Pendyala is examining important questions that are globally relevant,” Dr. Shukry said. “His research aligns perfectly with the department’s mission to deliver extraordinary clinical care and perform innovative research.”
Dr. Davis, director of research and development at the Olson Center for Women’s Health, praised Dr. Harris’ contribution to the study.
“We are delighted that Dr. Harris, who joined us from the UK last year, has already managed to establish this multidisciplinary collaboration to improve the lives of women and their babies in our state and beyond.”