# Alcohol inhibits anti-oxidant and immune defenses in the lung

> **NIH NIH K08** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $191,430

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY ABSTRACT
This K08 application proposes a 5-year training program to develop the career of Dr. Bashar Staitieh
as he studies the mechanisms by which chronic alcohol ingestion causes oxidative stress and impairs
innate immune function in the lung. His primary mentor, Dr. David Guidot, is an internationally-
recognized expert in the field of alcohol and lung biology who has mentored multiple post-doctoral
MD and PhD trainees including four NIH K awardees and two VA Career Development awardees.
Outstanding senior investigators at Emory have been recruited to join the mentoring team that will
guide Dr. Staitieh’s career development. Together they determined that alcohol depletes the alveolar
space of the critical anti-oxidant glutathione, in part through its previously unrecognized inhibition of
the transcription factor Nrf2, and impairs the ability of the lung to defend itself against oxidative stress.
This renders individuals with alcohol use disorders at increased risk for a variety of lung-related
complications including pneumonia and acute lung injury. Dr. Staitieh has identified a novel and
provocative connection between Nrf2 and PU.1, another key transcription factor responsible for a
wide range of innate immune functions in the alveolar macrophage. His published and new
preliminary data suggest that the regulation of PU.1 by Nrf2 may have significant consequences for
the phenotype and function of the ‘alcoholic alveolar macrophage’. These results led to the
fundamental hypothesis underlying this project that alcohol-mediated inhibition of Nrf2 and the
consequent effects on PU.1 are key mediators of innate immune dysfunction in the alveolar
macrophages of individuals with alcohol use disorders. Previous work by the Emory Alcohol and
Lung Biology Center has established the detrimental effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on both Nrf2
and PU.1, but the connection between these two factors and the implications of their interaction have
not been yet been elucidated. This K08 project reflects a novel approach to understanding the
fundamental mechanisms by which alveolar macrophage innate immune functions are impaired in
individuals living with alcohol use disorders. Further, the training necessary to achieve these aims will
provide Dr. Staitieh with the skills to develop into an independent physician-scientist in the important
field of alcohol and lung biology. Emory is among the premier sites in the world for alcohol and lung
biology research and this nurturing mentoring team has a strong track record of developing the
careers of alcohol researchers. Dr. Staitieh recently joined the faculty at Emory following a productive
training period with NIH T32 support and is at a critical stage of his career development. The support
of a K08 will enable him to meet his goal of becoming an independent physician-scientist focused on
improving the health of individuals suffering from alcohol use disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9980238
- **Project number:** 5K08AA024512-04
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Bashar Samih Staitieh
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $191,430
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9980238

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9980238, Alcohol inhibits anti-oxidant and immune defenses in the lung (5K08AA024512-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9980238. Licensed CC0.

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