# Development of minocycline as a neuroimmune therapy for alcohol use disorder

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2020 · $176,569

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 This K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award is designed to prepare the candidate to
become an independent investigator in using psychoneuroimmunology and neuroimaging techniques to
develop medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Alcohol use disorder is a critical public health issue that
severely affects quality of life and produces a sizable economic burden. Despite this pervasive problem, there
are few currently approved pharmacotherapies for the treatment of AUD, and those that are available have
moderate efficacy at best. Therefore, medication development for AUD remains a top research priority, and the
identification of new molecular targets and novel compounds is essential for the treatment of AUD. Recent
evidence suggests that the neuroimmune system may represent one such novel treatment target for AUD.
Minocycline is a neuroimmune modulator that reduces alcohol consumption, alcohol-related inflammation, and
alcohol-induced neurotoxicity in rodents. However, the effects of minocycline on neuroinflammation and
neurocognitive function in individuals with an AUD are unknown. Thus, the research objective of this K01
application is to characterize the role of the neuroimmune system in AUD and identify the biobehavioral
mechanisms by which minocycline may be an effective AUD pharmacotherapy. We will advance medication
development for AUD by conducting a randomized, double blind, and placebo-controlled positron emission
tomography (PET) imaging study examining the effects of minocycline on neuroinflammation, alcohol cue
reactivity, neurocognitive function, and alcohol use in AUD. In the proposed study, non-treatment seeking
individuals with a current DSM-5 AUD diagnosis (N = 24) will be randomized to receive either 200 mg of
minocycline or placebo on a daily basis for 28 days and complete two laboratory sessions. The first laboratory
session will be performed immediately before commencing the medication regimen (day 0) and the second will
be completed after taking the medication daily for 28 days. Within each laboratory session, participants will
complete a cue reactivity paradigm, neurocognitive performance tasks, and a PET imaging session.
Neuroinflammation will be assessed by using PET imaging with the radiotracer N-(2,5-dimethoxy-benzyl)-N-(5-
fluoro-2-phenoxyphenyl) acetamide labeled with carbon-11 ([11C]-DAA1106), which labels activated microglia
in the brain. Additionally, blood samples will be drawn on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 of treatment to measure
circulating levels of proinflammatory markers in order to identify the specific immune signaling pathways
underlying neuroinflammation in AUD. The successful completion of this study will contribute to medication
development for AUD by evaluating a novel compound and examining the utility of the neuroimmune system
as a treatment target for AUD. The training goals for the PI are to gain expertise in 1) neuroimaging, 2) the
psychoneuroimmunology of addi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9998802
- **Project number:** 5K01AA026005-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel Roche
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $176,569
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9998802

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9998802, Development of minocycline as a neuroimmune therapy for alcohol use disorder (5K01AA026005-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9998802. Licensed CC0.

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