# Fyn Kinase Inhibitors and Alcohol Drinking Behaviors in Heavy Drinkers

> **NIH NIH P50** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $273,371

## Abstract

Project 3: Fyn Kinase Inhibitors and Alcohol Drinking Behaviors in Heavy Drinkers
Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, Ph.D.
Abstract
Historically, development of successful treatments for substance use disorders, including alcohol
drinking, has been based on an understanding of the neurochemical mechanisms mediating the
condition. CTNA4 has a novel and translational focus on understanding the role of an intracellular
signaling mechanism, related to protein tyrosine phosphatases, in mediating alcohol induced
disturbances in DA and glutamate signaling, and the relevance of these interactions to alcohol
reward and drinking and alcohol habits. This project, P3, which is an important component of the
translational CTNA4, will evaluate if a Fyn Kinase inhibitor, Saractinib, alters drinking behavior in
heavy drinkers. Saractinib is a Fyn Kinase inhibitior developed by Astra Zeneca that will target
NMDA receptor signaling and has been used in multiple studies with healthy control, patients with
solid tumors and patients with Alzheimers disease. P3 is inherently innovative in both its
conception and application because it identifies an important gap in clinical knowledge –how to
target NMDA receptor function to reduce drinking without increasing positive alcohol effects- and
then brings to bear an experiment which combines a novel therapeutic agent and a behavioral
science tool, the Alcohol drinking paradigm (ADP) to investigate this question. The project is
served by the cores but also supports the goals of the CTNA cores, including the clinical and
translational cores, to ask unique questions like the role of “habit” and novel neuroimaging
markers in predicting medication response. P3 will address the primary questions of whether Fyn
kinase inhibition with Saractinib, alters alcohol drinking and craving in heavy drinkers using the
ADP. It will also evaluate if Saracatinib alters alcohol effects like stimulation and sedation and
examine various novel predictors of treatment response including habit, impulsivity, deficiencies
in learning in response to rewards/punishment and neuroimaging markers of functional brain
connectivity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9941002
- **Project number:** 5P50AA012870-20
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** SUCHITRA KRISHNAN-SARIN
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $273,371
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9941002

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9941002, Fyn Kinase Inhibitors and Alcohol Drinking Behaviors in Heavy Drinkers (5P50AA012870-20). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9941002. Licensed CC0.

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