Mitochondrial protection against alcohol-related heart damage
Official title: Exploring Mitochondrial Defense Against Ethanol-Induced Dicarbonyl Stress in the Heart
Funded at Lsu Health Sciences Center · NIH-11456728 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests whether a mitochondrial protein called ES1 helps protect the heart from damage caused by long-term alcohol use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lsu Health Sciences Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | August 11, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $215,625 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AA033529-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11456728 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not a patient-involving study at this stage, but findings could translate to people with or at risk for alcohol-related cardiomyopathy in the future.
✕Less likely to help
The study is preclinical and does not involve current patients.
What this research studies
Chronic heavy drinking can lead to a type of non-ischemic heart failure called alcohol-associated cardiomyopathy, which involves mitochondrial problems and heart muscle changes. The project will explore whether mitochondria-wide dicarbonyl stress from alcohol exposure contributes to this damage and whether ES1 can prevent it. Researchers will study how ES1 might detoxify harmful byproducts inside heart mitochondria and whether boosting ES1 activity preserves energy production and reduces remodeling. The work uses molecular and cellular approaches to understand a mechanism that could someday guide new treatments for alcohol-related heart disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If ES1 safely protects mitochondria, this could inform new strategies to prevent or lessen alcohol-related heart damage.
How similar studies have gone: Prior evidence links mitochondrial dysfunction and aldehyde stress to heart disease, but the specific protective role of ES1 in ethanol-related damage is not yet established.
Where this research is happening
-
Lsu Health Sciences Center
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Qinglin — Lsu Health Sciences Center
- Study coordinator: Yang, Qinglin
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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.