How alcohol affects the muscle's daily internal clock
Alcohol and the skeletal muscle clock
Researchers are looking at whether alcohol disrupts the muscle's 24-hour 'clock' and whether fixing that clock could help adults with alcohol-related muscle weakness.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tallahassee, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194483 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, this project studies how alcohol exposure (binge and chronic) changes the molecular clock inside skeletal muscle and whether those changes cause muscle weakness and loss. Scientists will use laboratory models and molecular tools to mimic alcohol effects, compare muscle strength and size, and turn specific clock components on or off to see the results. The goal is to map the chain of events from alcohol exposure to clock disruption to muscle damage so that specific clock parts can be targeted for future treatments. This is a lab-based project led at a university and may inform therapies down the road rather than offering immediate treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a history of heavy or chronic alcohol use who experience muscle weakness, reduced muscle size, or related functional decline would be the group most likely to benefit from related future trials.
Not a fit: People whose muscle problems are due to non-alcohol causes or who have unstable medical conditions are unlikely to benefit from the findings in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new targets for treatments that protect or restore muscle strength in people with alcohol-associated muscle disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies show alcohol harms muscle and can disrupt molecular clocks, but directly linking clock disruption to alcohol-related muscle disease and targeting clock components is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Tallahassee, United States
- Florida State University — Tallahassee, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Steiner, Jennifer Lynn — Florida State University
- Study coordinator: Steiner, Jennifer Lynn
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.