Neuroimmune Mechanisms of Alcohol Related Disorders (R01) - 0 views
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MiamiOH OARS on 13 Mar 14This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (R21) applications from institutions/organizations that propose to study the neuroimmune mechanisms of alcohol related disorders. Studies using animal models and post-mortem human alcoholic brains suggest that alcohol exposure alters the neuroimmune system in the brain. However, it remains unclear how the altered neuroimmune signaling contributes to brain functional and behavioral changes associated with alcohol dependence. Recent studies reveal that neuroimmune molecules are expressed in neurons and glia, and play an important role in modulating synaptic function, neurodevelopment, and neuroendocrine function. These neuromodulatory properties, together with their essential roles in neuroinflammation, provide a new frame work to understand the role of neuroimmune factors in mediating neuroadaptation and behavioral phenotypes associated with alcohol use disorders. Studies supported by this FOA will provide fundamental insights of neuroimmune mechanisms underlying brain functional and behavioral changes induced by alcohol.