# Microglial Modulation of Nicotine Dependence

> **NIH NIH R36** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT COLUMBIA · 2020 · $54,000

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
Notwithstanding great strides in lowering the percentage of smoking adults, close to a billion people a year
continue to smoke and 30% of all cancers are linked to tobacco use. Despite new smoking cessation
pharmacotherapies, quit rates remain at less than 10%. A major lack of success is due to nicotine withdrawal
symptomology. Current research suggests glial immune responses in the brain and subsequent
neuroinflammation may underlie the negative symptomology. While neuroinflammation and associated gliosis
has been demonstrated to be a primary mediator of many neurological disorders, including in CNS trauma,
ischemia, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases, its role in nicotine dependence tobacco use disorder has
not been investigated. The microglia as the resident immune cells of the brain respond to changes in the
microenvironment and respond by polarization into proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory states. We postulate
that attenuating microgliosis pharmacologically will reduce the anxiety-like responses during nicotine
withdrawal. Using a mouse animal model of nicotine dependence, we will investigate pharmacological
compounds possessing both structurally and mechanistically distinct mechanisms of action for inhibiting this
inflammation. Attenuation of the microglial activation should reduce the anxiety-like behaviors occurring during
nicotine withdrawal by ameliorating the neuroinflammatory response and altering the secreted effector
molecules landscape. These changes will be probed behaviorally and molecularly, concentrating on microglial
morphology, and effector molecule measurements (cytokine and chemokines) at both the gene and protein
levels. Changes in microglial response and signaling will add clinically relevant insight into mechanisms for
neuroinflammation as a target of nicotine use disorder. This innovative approach could expand the
pharmacological toolbox for smoking cessation and reduce the 7 million people a year tobacco related death
toll.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9976881
- **Project number:** 1R36DA049087-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT COLUMBIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Erin Leigh Anderson
- **Activity code:** R36 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $54,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9976881

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9976881, Microglial Modulation of Nicotine Dependence (1R36DA049087-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9976881. Licensed CC0.

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