# Novel mechanism of escalated alcohol self-administration

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $69,810

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Pathological alcohol-seeking behavior is regulated in part by glutamate AMPA receptor (AMPAR)
activity in the amygdala. Transmembrane AMPA receptor regulatory proteins (TARPs) profoundly
affect the trafficking and function of AMPARs in synaptic and behavioral plasticity. Although the
TARP family of proteins is expressed throughout the brain, the TARP γ-8 subtype is restricted to
limbic regions including the basolateral amygdala (BLA); a brain region that is critical to addiction.
However, the role of TARP γ-8 in alcohol use disorders (AUD) or other addictions is unknown. To
fill this gap in knowledge, we propose an innovative set of behavioral, genetic, pharmacological,
and molecular studies in mice to evaluate the mechanistic role of TARP γ-8 in escalated self-
administration. Elucidating the neural mechanism of this fundamental behavioral pathology has
high translational value for understanding the development, progression, and maintenance of
AUD. Successful completion of the studies in this application will provide fundamental mechanistic
insights into TARP γ-8 regulation of pathological alcohol-seeking behavior. Moreover, this work
moves the field forward in understanding the molecular mechanisms by which alcohol hijacks
reward processes and has potential to inform development of new pharmacotherapeutic
strategies that target AMPAR function in a highly selective brain region-specific manner.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10140671
- **Project number:** 1F32AA028993-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Jessica Lea Hoffman
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $69,810
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-04 → 2021-09-03

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10140671

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10140671, Novel mechanism of escalated alcohol self-administration (1F32AA028993-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10140671. Licensed CC0.

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