Alcohol and DNA repair: how acetaldehyde speeds cancer from alcohol use
Official title: Novel Insights into Alcohol-Driven Tumorigenesis via Ribosomal Suppression and DNA Repair Dysregulation
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11418275 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new NIH grant is exploring how alcohol-related DNA damage and ribosome problems may drive oral cancer, with potential to help people who drink alcohol.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,763,805 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AA033309-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11418275 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who consume alcohol and are at risk for oral cancer may be relevant for future studies or related trials.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals with no exposure to alcohol or oral cancer risk factors may not benefit directly from this basic mechanistic work.
What this research studies
Researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are studying how the carcinogen acetaldehyde from alcohol affects cells, including how it slows ribosome function and disrupts DNA repair. The project looks at why drinking alcohol increases risk for oral squamous cell carcinoma and aims to uncover mechanisms that could lead to better prevention. The work involves laboratory studies with human-relevant models to understand how early changes in protein production and repair pathways contribute to cancer development. Findings could point toward targeted prevention strategies or biomarkers for identifying individuals at higher risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new ways to prevent alcohol-related oral cancer or identify people at higher risk earlier.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked acetaldehyde to DNA damage and cancer risk, with ongoing exploration of ribosome and repair pathway interactions; this study builds on those insights with a focus on oral cancer.
Where this research is happening
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Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peng, Aimin — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Peng, Aimin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.