# The role of alcohol-associated microbiota membrane vesicles in mucosal immunity

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $78,256

## Abstract

A significant portion of the global burden of AUD (Alcohol use disorder) derives from an increased risk and
susceptibility to diseases including infection, cirrhosis, and cancer. These diseases are influenced by the
composition of the intestinal microbiota, which is altered by alcohol use. Though it has been accepted that
change to the microbiota contributes to disease establishment and progression in AUD, our understanding of
the mechanisms by which this occurs is inadequate. These mechanisms likely involve a variety of microbiota-
derived products (membrane vesicles, excreted chemicals, cellular components, LPS, etc.). The preliminary data
addressed herein support the proposition that microbiota-derived membrane vesicles (MVs) are an important
driver of alcohol-driven tissue injury.
To address this possibility, this proposal will examine the effects of alcohol on the composition and frequency of
microbiota derived MVs. This proposal will also evaluate the effects of alcohol-associated MVs on promoting
tissue injury and mucosal infection. Our preliminary data demonstrate that alcohol alters the composition of MVs
generated by the gut microbiota, and that isolated alcohol-associated MVs increase susceptibility to respiratory
infection, independent of alcohol use, suggesting that MVs influence mucosal host defense. We hypothesize that
MVs from an alcohol-associated microbiota will have increased inflammatory properties and increase
susceptibility to mucosal infections via epithelial inflammation and barrier dysfunction. Understanding the
alterations to bacterial MVs following alcohol exposure may give new insight into disease pathogenesis, which
may inspire future therapies centered on modulating MVs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10845274
- **Project number:** 5F32AA031180-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel Villageliu
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $78,256
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-04-28 → 2026-04-27

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10845274

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10845274, The role of alcohol-associated microbiota membrane vesicles in mucosal immunity (5F32AA031180-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10845274. Licensed CC0.

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