# Promotion of Alzheimers Disease by Alcohol - Role of eCIRP

> **NIH NIH R01** · FEINSTEIN INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH · 2020 · $418,750

## Abstract

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The goal of this R01 proposal is to investigate a novel molecular mechanism by
which extracellular cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (eCIRP), released from microglial cells upon alcohol
exposure, leads to tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is the 6th leading cause of death in the US
and the most common form of neurodegenerative dementia. Although studies link heavy alcohol drinking to
AD, the underlying mechanisms have not been sufficiently explored. We have shown that eCIRP is a critical
mediator of memory impairment induced by exposure to binge-drinking levels of alcohol, leading us to
postulate that eCIRP may be a key player in the relationship between alcohol and AD. Indeed, we discovered
that eCIRP was increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients. We also showed that alcohol increased the
brain levels of eCIRP in an animal model of binge alcohol drinking, and that microglial cells are the probable
source of eCIRP in the brain after alcohol exposure. Moreover, eCIRP increased tau phosphorylation and
upregulated the Cdk5 hyperactivator p25 via the direct binding to and activation of the interleukin-6 receptor α
(IL-6Rα)/STAT3 pathway. Based on these novel findings, we hypothesize that alcohol-induced microglial cell-
derived eCIRP activates the neuronal IL-6Rα/STAT3/Cdk5 pathway, leading to pathological tau phosphoryl-
ation and aggregation. We also showed that the CIRP-derived peptide C23 effectively inhibited the activation
of the IL-6Rα/STAT3/Cdk5 pathway induced by eCIRP. Therefore, we further hypothesize that treatment with
C23 attenuates the development of alcohol-induced tau pathology. In this project, we plan to further establish
the role of alcohol-induced microglial cell-derived eCIRP in pathological tau phosphorylation and aggregation.
We will then elucidate the molecular mechanism through which eCIRP produces AD-like pathological tau
phosphorylation and aggregation. Finally, we will examine whether inhibition of eCIRP with C23 attenuates tau
phosphorylation and aggregation after exposures to binge-drinking levels of alcohol. These studies will provide
novel pivotal insights into the mechanisms responsible for the influence of heavy alcohol drinking on the
pathogenesis of AD, as well as a new potential therapeutic strategy to treat AD patients in the future.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10132450
- **Project number:** 1R01AA028947-01
- **Recipient organization:** FEINSTEIN INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
- **Principal Investigator:** PHILIPPE MARAMBAUD
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $418,750
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-20 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10132450

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10132450, Promotion of Alzheimers Disease by Alcohol - Role of eCIRP (1R01AA028947-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10132450. Licensed CC0.

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