Funding

NIH/NIAAA - Alcohol and Monocyte Signaling: The overall goal of this research is to define molecular mechanisms that regulate the switch from the acute, anti-inflammatory to the chronic, pro-inflammatory effects of alcohol.

Intercept Pharmaceuticals - FXR agonists in alcoholic liver disease: The overall goal of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of FXR agonists on improving features of alcoholic liver disease in a mouse model.

NIH/NIAAA - Innate immune signaling in alcoholic liver disease: This application further investigates if the absence of TLR4, but not of the MyD88 adaptor, protects mice from alcoholic liver disease.

NIH/NIAAA - HCV, Alcohol and Host Defense: This project investigates pathogenic interactions between HCV and alcohol use or co-activation of cells of the innate immune system.

NIH/NIAAA - Novel Therapies in Alcoholic Hepatitis-Admin Core: The goals are to: 1) direct the administrative core and act as Chair of the Executive and Steering Committees; 2) integrate various administrative functions of the project to meet needs; 3) oversee all components with the help of the Steering Committee and guide all projects to meet the overall goals of the consortium.

NIH/NIAAA  - Novel Therapies in Alcoholic Hepatitis-Translational Component: The goal of this component is to test novel therapeutic approaches and reveal new biomarkers in alcoholic hepatitis.

NIH/NIAAA - Cleveland Clinic Lerner COM-CWRU - Novel Therapies in Alcoholic Hepatitis-UMass Chan Clinical Trial: The major goals are to: 1) develop innovative non-invasive biomarkers based on exhaled breath gas analysis and urinary analysis; 2) develop genetic signatures that predict sensitivity of patients to individual and/or combined therapies; 3) develop two lead therapeutics for treating patients with AH in a pre-clinical mouse model.

NIH/NIAAA  - Bio distribution and function of alcohol-induced exRNA : Extracellular RNAs provide unique ways of communications between cells and organs in health and disease. In this study, we will test the effects of acute alcohol binge drinking and chronic alcohol use on the effects of extracellular leave of micro-RNA-155, a major regulator of inflammation. We found that alcohol consumption increases the levels of miR-155 packaged in exosomes, small membrane-coated vesicles, and we will test the delivery of the small RNA by the exosomes to different tissues in the body. These experiments will help better understand how alcohol changes human health.

NIH/NIAAA - SignaBlok, Inc.: The overall goal of the proposed Phase 1 project is to test the hypothesis that peptides designed using SignaBlok’s platform of TREM-1 signaling, the Signaling Chain HOmoOLiogomerization (SCHOOL) model, will suppress Kupffer cell activation and proinflammatory cytokine expression resulting in diminished alcohol-induced liver injury in an animal model system.