How gut calcium channels contribute to alcohol-related liver damage
Defining the Role of Intestinal Calcium Channels in Alcoholic Liver Damage.
This project is looking at whether blocking specific calcium channels in the gut can help protect adults who drink heavily from gut leakiness and alcohol-related liver injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11327297 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study how two calcium channels (TRPV6 and CaV1.3) on the lining of the intestine respond to alcohol using lab-grown human gut cells and mice that lack these channels. They will test a drug that blocks TRPV6 (SOR‑C13) to see if it prevents alcohol from causing gaps in the intestinal barrier, reduces passage of gut toxins into the blood, and lowers liver inflammation. The team will measure intestinal tight junction integrity, gut permeability, markers of endotoxemia, and downstream liver injury. If the lab and animal findings are strong, the work could guide future human studies of channel-blocking treatments to reduce alcoholic liver disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21 years and older) who drink heavily or who have alcoholic liver disease would be the most relevant candidates for future trials based on this work.
Not a fit: People younger than 21, those with non-alcoholic liver disease, or patients whose liver problems are driven by causes other than alcohol-related gut barrier dysfunction are unlikely to benefit from these specific interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that prevent alcohol-driven gut leakiness and reduce progression of alcoholic liver disease.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies in human gut cells and mouse models show promising protection when TRPV6 or CaV1.3 are blocked or absent, but human testing of this approach is still limited.
Where this research is happening
Memphis, United States
- University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr — Memphis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rao, Radhakrishna — University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: Rao, Radhakrishna
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.