How alcohol weakens bone marrow's infection response
Official title: Alcohol impairs the HSPC response to septic infection
Funded at Northeast Ohio Medical University · NIH-11184297 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how heavy drinking can stop bone marrow from making infection-fighting white blood cells during serious bacterial infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northeast Ohio Medical University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rootstown, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $185,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AA031725-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11184297 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Findings will be most relevant to people with heavy alcohol use who are at risk for or recovering from bacterial sepsis, although this grant focuses on laboratory models rather than patient enrollment.
✕Less likely to help
People without alcohol-use history or without bacterial infection risk are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific lab-focused research.
What this research studies
If I had heavy alcohol use and a serious bacterial infection, this research looks at why my bone marrow might fail to make enough neutrophils. The team uses mouse models combining chronic-plus-binge alcohol exposure with E. coli sepsis, measures GBP7 protein and JNK signaling in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, and tests how blocking JNK affects HSPC activation. They also compare the genetic control regions for GBP7 in mice and humans to understand how the gene is regulated. This is lab-based work using animal and cell studies rather than enrolling patients in a clinical trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to molecular targets (for example GBP7 or JNK pathways) to restore white blood cell production in people who drink heavily and develop sepsis.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows alcohol reduces stem cell activation and neutrophil production, but the specific role of GBP7 and its regulation by JNK signaling is a novel area being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Rootstown, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Ping — Northeast Ohio Medical University
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Ping
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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.