Alcohol impairment of immune function, host defense and tissue homeostasis (R01)

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Susceptibility to infection and organ damage are the two most common causes of alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. These consequences of alcohol abuse are closely associated with profound impairment of the host innate and adaptive immune systems. The mechanisms of these immune alterations and their link with alcohol-related medical problems are, in most cases, poorly understood. The goal of this FOA is to attract applications on basic and translational research: 1) to identify how alcohol alters immune function; 2) to establish functional links between immune alterations and alcohol related infections and organ damage; and 3) to develop means for mitigating immune impairment with the goal of alleviating alcohol-induced pathology.

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