AMPD2-targeted treatment for alcohol problems and liver damage
Official title: Targeting AMP Deaminase 2 (AMPD2) to Metabolically Treat Alcohol Use Disorder and Liver Disease
Funded at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System · NIH-11183294 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A treatment that blocks the enzyme AMPD2 is being tried to help people with alcohol use disorder who also have alcohol-related liver damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01BX006986-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11183294 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with alcohol use disorder who drink heavily and have early or moderate alcohol-related liver disease would be the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People whose liver disease is not caused by alcohol, those with very advanced cirrhosis, or those who cannot tolerate AMPD2-targeting drugs are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
This work focuses on AMPD2, an enzyme in the purine degradation pathway that becomes more active in the brains and livers exposed to alcohol. Researchers will reduce AMPD2 activity using drugs or molecular methods in lab and animal experiments and study effects on drinking behavior and liver health. Findings from mouse models and alcohol-exposed human cells will guide development of a metabolic therapy aimed at treating alcohol use and liver disease together. If promising, the approach could be moved toward testing in people at VA and affiliated centers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could lower alcohol use and protect or slow damage to the liver with a single metabolic treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies in alcohol-preferring mice and ethanol-exposed human cells support targeting the purine degradation pathway, but AMPD2-directed therapies have not yet been tested widely in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lanaspa Garcia, Miguel Angel — VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Lanaspa Garcia, Miguel Angel
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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.