Alcohol abuse and its related health effects are estimated to have an economic cost in the US that approaches $200 Billion per year. However, current tests for alcohol use/abuse are not reliable except when administered within several hours of intoxication. Moreover, current clinical tests for alcohol-related organ damage only provide reasonable diagnostic and prognostic value after the damage has occurred. This study is designed to examine the effect of alcohol on micro RNAs (miRNAs), a newly discovered class of gene expression regulators that are believed to play important roles in vital cellular functions, development and disease. Genome Explorations Inc. (GenEx) proposes to use a well-validated mouse model system to identify alcohol-induced changes in miRNA expression in blood, liver and cerebellum and assess their ability to act as sensitive and specific indicators of acute alcohol use and alcohol-induced liver damage. Identification of such biomarkers may lead to the development of more sensitive and specific tests that can detect alcohol consumption well after the fact, and the early onset (or pre-onset indicators) of alcohol induced liver damage.
