How sugary drinks and alcohol may work together to cause liver cancer
Elucidating dietary fructose and alcohol interactions during liver cancer development
This project looks at whether drinking fructose (like in soft drinks) changes how the liver handles alcohol and whether that raises the risk of liver cancer in people who drink alcohol.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11098539 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study how fructose affects a liver enzyme (ACSS2) that can change the way alcohol is broken down and used by the liver. They will use laboratory models, including mice, and molecular analyses of liver tissue to follow how alcohol is converted to acetate and then to acetyl-CoA inside liver cells. The team will compare mice given fructose and alcohol to controls to see if fructose shifts acetate from being released to being used in ways that promote tumor growth. Findings will focus on biochemical pathways that could explain why sugary drinks and alcohol together increase liver cancer risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who regularly drink alcohol and consume high amounts of sugary beverages or who have fatty liver disease would be most relevant to the questions this research addresses.
Not a fit: Patients needing immediate clinical treatments or those whose liver disease is unrelated to alcohol or sugar intake may not receive direct benefit from these preclinical studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If confirmed, this work could reveal a specific metabolic link between sugary drinks and alcohol that points to new prevention strategies or drug targets to lower liver cancer risk.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has found ACSS2 overactivity and increased acetate use in some cancers and preliminary mouse data showed fructose can boost ACSS2 activity, but translating these findings to human prevention or therapy is still early.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jang, Cholsoon — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Jang, Cholsoon
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.