Gut goblet cells and immune defenses in alcohol-related liver disease
Goblet cells and intestinal immune response in alcohol-associated liver disease
This project looks at how special gut cells called goblet cells and nearby immune cells change after long-term heavy drinking, and how those changes may lead to alcohol-related liver damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11378123 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will examine how chronic alcohol exposure changes goblet cells that make mucus and how those cells pass gut material to immune cells called lamina propria dendritic cells (LP-DCs). Using laboratory analyses of gut tissue and immune cells, the team will look for signs that goblet-cell changes increase intestinal leakiness and allow microbes to reach the liver. The work will compare immune cell types and functions near goblet cells in patient samples and experimental models of long-term drinking to determine if tolerogenic responses are lost. Overall, the study focuses on whether disrupted goblet cell–immune interactions contribute to intestinal permeability and liver inflammation in alcohol-associated liver disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with long-term heavy alcohol use or diagnosed alcohol-associated liver disease (including alcoholic hepatitis) would be the most relevant candidates to engage with this research.
Not a fit: People whose liver disease is caused by non-alcohol conditions, or those with very advanced irreversible liver failure, are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to protect the gut barrier or restore tolerant gut immune cells to help prevent or reduce alcohol-related liver injury.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked gut dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability to worse alcohol-related liver disease, but studying goblet cells and their antigen passages is a relatively new focus.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Llorente Izquierdo, Ana Cristina — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Llorente Izquierdo, Ana Cristina
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 below.