Novel molecular and cellular approaches for alcoholism medication development

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This five-year funding proposal for a Program Project Grant on alcohol-related research provides innovative paradigms for medication development for the treatment of alcoholism by bringing together experienced alcohol researchers with expertise in molecular biology, electrophysiology and behavior. The goal is to develop the technologies and collaborations necessary to define new targets for medication development and translate our knowledge of alcohol targets into selective ligands. The PPG consists of an Administrative Core (Adron Harris, PI and Center Director), identification and characterization of specific allosteric modulators of ion channels using phage display (S. John Mihic and Rick Morrisett), molecular and cellular mechanisms of novel therapeutic targets in alcohol reward (Igor Ponomarev and Hitoshi Morikawa), microRNA targets for medication development (Dayne Mayfield) and an animal core (Yuri Blednov and Rueben Gonzales) to provide mice and behavioral testing to the projects. The PPG has both internal and external advisory board members, providing expert guidance from scientists with a wide range of expertise in drug development and therapeutics. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Even though alcohol (ethanol) has been consumed for thousands of years, we know remarkably little about the way it produces its effects on the brain. Our goal is to develop the technologies and collaborations necessary to define new targets for medication development and translate our knowledge of alcohol targets into effective ligands for reduction of alcohol intake.