How sex chromosomes and hormones shape rising alcohol use during adolescence
Official title: Sex Chromosome Complement and Mechanisms of Escalating Ethanol Intake in Adolescence
Funded at State University of Ny,binghamton · NIH-11177686 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether sex chromosomes and hormones change how and why teenagers increase their alcohol drinking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of Ny,binghamton NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Binghamton, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2009 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $259,903 |
| NIH project number | 5P50AA017823-17 |
| Project ID | NIH-11177686 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents who drink or are at risk of escalating alcohol use (and their caregivers) would be the population most likely to benefit from this line of research.
✕Less likely to help
People needing immediate clinical treatment for alcohol withdrawal or older adults without adolescent-onset drinking are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this basic research now.
What this research studies
This work uses special mouse models that separate the effects of sex chromosomes from the effects of gonadal hormones to understand teen drinking. Mice will have intermittent access to alcohol during adolescence to see how drinking escalates under different chromosome and hormone combinations. Researchers will measure alcohol metabolism, brain dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens, and whether oxytocin release outside the hypothalamus contributes to these changes. The goal is to connect biological sex factors with patterns of adolescent alcohol use that could inform future prevention or treatment approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could explain biological reasons for sex differences in teen drinking and point to targets for prevention or tailored treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies have linked sex hormones and chromosomes to alcohol-related behaviors, but applying these models to escalating adolescent drinking and the specific dopamine/oxytocin mechanisms is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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State University of Ny,binghamton
Binghamton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jentsch, J. David — State University of Ny,binghamton
- Study coordinator: Jentsch, J. David
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.