Repeated use of opioids to treat chronic pain is associated with increased pain sensitivity and a risk of developing opioid use disorder (OUD), making it critical to conduct early-stage discovery of novel analgesic and OUD medications within druggable physiological systems. Preclinical studies proposed in a new R21 awarded to Drs. Scott Edwards and Amanda Pahng titled Targeting the Renin System for the Treatment of Pain and Opioid Use Disorder, will examine the efficacy of an FDA-approved therapeutic strategy (direct renin inhibition) as a novel therapeutic avenue for the treatment of OUD and pain