NIH-funded research R21 grant

Investigating how alcohol affects mitochondrial function in liver disease

Official title: Mitochondrial Acetylation and Acetylome Dynamics in Alcoholic Liver Disease assessed with Heavy Water

Funded at Northeast Ohio Medical University · NIH-10706527 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is looking at how drinking alcohol affects tiny parts of your liver cells called mitochondria, which help keep your liver healthy, and it's for anyone interested in understanding more about how alcohol can impact liver health.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNortheast Ohio Medical University
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Rootstown, United States)
Project startSeptember 20, 2022
Project endAugust 31, 2025
Funding year2023
Award (this year)$187,860
NIH project number5R21AA029784-02
Project IDNIH-10706527 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates for this research are individuals with a history of alcohol consumption who may be at risk for alcoholic liver disease.

Less likely to help

Patients who do not consume alcohol or have no liver-related health issues may not benefit from this research.

What this research studies

This research focuses on understanding the role of mitochondrial acetylation in alcoholic liver disease (ALD). It aims to explore how alcohol intake leads to changes in the dynamics of acetylation in liver mitochondria, which may impact their function. Using advanced techniques like high-resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, the study will analyze the acetylome dynamics in liver tissues from mice with ALD. The goal is to determine how these changes affect mitochondrial protein stability and function over time.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new insights into the mechanisms of alcoholic liver disease and potential therapeutic targets for treatment.

How similar studies have gone: While the specific approach of assessing acetylome dynamics in the context of alcoholic liver disease is relatively novel, similar studies have shown promising results in understanding mitochondrial function in other contexts.

Where this research is happening

  • Northeast Ohio Medical University
    Rootstown, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Kasumov, Takhar — Northeast Ohio Medical University
  • Study coordinator: Kasumov, Takhar

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

  • Microbiome and Innate Immune Response in Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

    Researchers are studying how gut bacteria and the body's first-line immune defenses contribute to liver damage from alcohol, with a focus on how a specific bacteria and its toxins affect disease severity.

    NIH research University of California, San Diego · La Jolla, United States · NIH-11543368

  • 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.

    NIH research University of North Carolina Greensboro · Greensboro, United States · NIH-11450399

  • 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.

    NIH research University of Illinois at Chicago · Chicago, UNITED STATES · NIH-11380807

  • 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.

    NIH research University of California, San Diego · La Jolla, United States · NIH-11378956

  • 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.

    NIH research Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · Worcester, United States · NIH-11374847

  • 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.

    NIH research University of Washington · Seattle, United States · NIH-11329541

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.