How a gut nerve signal (VIP) and sugar-tags (fucosylation) affect alcohol-related liver damage
Characterization of the role of neuropeptide VIP-mediated fucosylation in alcohol associated liver disease
This project looks at how a nerve-released molecule called VIP controls sugar tagging in the gut that may help protect people who drink alcohol from liver injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Louisville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Louisville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11089608 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, the team is studying how alcohol reduces a gut nerve chemical (VIP) and how that change alters 'fucose' sugar tags on the gut lining, which can change the mix of gut bacteria and allow harmful molecules into the portal blood. They will use lab and animal experiments to test whether giving VIP or blocking its receptor changes gut fucosylation, bacterial colonization, immune signals (like IL-22 and ILC3 cells), and gut barrier strength. The researchers will connect these gut changes to the severity of alcohol-associated liver injury, using mechanistic measures such as endotoxin levels and liver inflammation. The goal is to understand a chain of events from alcohol to gut to liver that could point to new ways to prevent or reduce alcoholic hepatitis.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with heavy alcohol use or those diagnosed with alcohol-associated liver disease or alcoholic hepatitis who may be interested in future therapies targeting gut–liver interactions.
Not a fit: Patients whose liver disease is unrelated to alcohol (for example viral hepatitis or purely metabolic fatty liver) are unlikely to benefit directly from this pathway-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that protect the gut barrier and lower liver inflammation in people with alcohol-associated liver disease.
How similar studies have performed: There are preliminary animal and lab data linking fucosylation, VIP, and gut microbes to liver injury, but this specific pathway is relatively new and has not yet been tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Louisville, United States
- University of Louisville — Louisville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Deng, Zhong-Bin — University of Louisville
- Study coordinator: Deng, Zhong-Bin
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.