Immune signals driving alcohol-related liver damage
Official title: Innate immune signaling in alcoholic liver disease
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11194417 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether blocking a key immune protein (BTK) and stopping neutrophil extracellular traps can reduce inflammation and liver injury in people with alcohol-associated hepatitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 20, 2009 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $285,699 |
| NIH project number | 5R56AA017729-13 |
| Project ID | NIH-11194417 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People diagnosed with alcohol-associated hepatitis, particularly those with active inflammation and recent heavy alcohol use, would be the most likely candidates for this work or future clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
People with milder alcohol-related fatty liver without hepatitis or those whose liver disease is caused by other conditions are unlikely to benefit from these specific immune-targeting approaches.
What this research studies
Researchers will study immune cells called neutrophils taken from people with alcohol-associated hepatitis to understand why some become overactive and harm the liver. They will measure neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and activity of the enzyme Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK), and examine how these trigger inflammatory pathways such as NLRP3 and STING/IRF3. Using patient blood and liver samples alongside laboratory models, the team will try drugs that block NETs, inhibit BTK, or both to see if these approaches reduce liver cell damage and scarring. Findings aim to link lab results to patient biology to inform future clinical trials of targeted therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that lower inflammation and liver injury and improve recovery and survival for people with alcohol-associated hepatitis.
How similar studies have gone: Drugs that block BTK or reduce NETs have shown promise in other inflammatory conditions, but applying these strategies to alcoholic hepatitis is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Szabo, Gyongyi — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Szabo, Gyongyi
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Microbiome and Innate Immune Response in Alcohol-Related Liver Disease
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Lipotoxicity and Alcohol-Related Liver Disease
This project studies how fatty acids cause liver cell damage in alcohol-related liver disease to help develop new treatments.
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NNMT as a Target to Treat Alcoholic Liver Disease
A study to see if blocking an enzyme called NNMT can help people with alcoholic liver disease.
-
How gut fungi may drive alcohol-related liver damage
Researchers are looking at whether specific fungi in the gut make liver damage from heavy drinking worse in people with alcohol-related liver disease.
-
Heat shock protein 90 and alcohol-related liver disease: how macrophages fuel inflammation
This project looks at how a cellular stress protein, HSP90, affects liver inflammation in people with alcohol-related liver disease by focusing on macrophages.
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Why alcohol-related liver disease can come back after a transplant
Looking at whether an enzyme called CerS6 helps fat build up in the liver and whether measuring CerS6 can help detect or predict return of alcohol-related liver disease before or after a liver transplant.
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.