How teen binge drinking might change brain-driven fever and immune responses
CNS-mediated fever after Adolescent Intermittent Ethanol
['FUNDING_R01'] · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON · NIH-11334327
This work looks at whether heavy alcohol use during the teen years changes how the brain controls fever and immune responses to infections and vaccinations.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BINGHAMTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11334327 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From the patient perspective, researchers recreate binge-like alcohol exposure that happens in adolescence and then measure long-term changes in brain and immune signaling that control fever and host defense. They use animal models to track sex-specific changes in cytokines, brain immune cells, and fever responses after viral-like challenges or vaccine-like stimuli. The team links these biological findings to concerns raised by COVID-19 about who is more vulnerable to worse infection outcomes or altered vaccine responses. Findings aim to explain whether a teen history of heavy drinking could change how a person responds to infections later in life.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This work is most relevant to adolescents or young adults who had episodes of binge drinking during their teenage years.
Not a fit: People who never drank heavily as teens or whose alcohol exposure began only in adulthood are less likely to directly benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If true, this could help doctors understand whether adolescent binge drinking raises infection or vaccine risk and guide prevention, vaccination, or monitoring strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous human and animal research shows alcohol can weaken immune responses and increase infection risk, but linking teen binge patterns to long-term, brain-mediated fever and immune changes is a newer focus.
Where this research is happening
BINGHAMTON, UNITED STATES
- STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON — BINGHAMTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: DEAK, TERRENCE — STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON
- Study coordinator: DEAK, TERRENCE
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.