Breaking New Ground in Alcohol Use Disorder Research: UT Health Science Center Scientist Awarded Nearly $400K Grant

For many families, Alcohol Use Disorder is more than a diagnosis - it is a daily struggle marked by loss, relapse, and unanswered questions. Despite decades of research, the biology of why some people become tolerant and dependent on alcohol, and how to stop it, remains one of medicine's most pressing mysteries.

At the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Chang Hoon Jee, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, is working to discover fresh answers. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has awarded Dr. Jee a $399,076 grant to pursue an innovative study titled "Repurposing FDA-approved Drugs to Target Chronic Alcohol Tolerance."

Alcohol tolerance, the need to consume more and more alcohol to feel the same effects, is a major factor driving dependence and relapse. Current treatment options are limited, and promising compounds, such as psychedelics, face significant regulatory and social hurdles. That is where Dr. Jee's approach stands apart.

Instead of starting from scratch, his team is looking to repurpose existing FDA-approved drugs, creating a rapid and safer path toward new therapies. To do this, the team is turning to an unexpected ally: the tiny worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Remarkably, these simple nematodes share important neurological pathways with humans, and their responses to alcohol also closely resemble humans, including showing intoxication-like behaviors, developing tolerance, experiencing withdrawal, and even displaying alcohol preference and persistent alcohol-seeking. This makes these worms a powerful model for understanding how alcohol reshapes the brain and behavior.

Using a phenotypic high-throughput system, Dr. Jee's lab will screen a large collection of existing medicines to see which can disrupt the cycle of chronic alcohol tolerance, ultimately dependence. The research will also dive deep into the role of serotonin, a signaling pathway increasingly tied to addiction but not yet fully understood.

"This project gives us a powerful platform to identify treatments quickly and reliably," Dr. Jee said. "By leveraging drugs that are already FDA-approved, we're reducing barriers and accelerating the possibility of delivering effective therapies to patients with Alcohol Use Disorder."

The study holds promise not only for Alcohol Use Disorder but also for its many related conditions, offering hope to millions living with the burden of alcohol dependence.