A team of researchers at the University of Kentucky has discovered early evidence that a drug developed for Alzheimer’s disease may also help reduce harmful brain inflammation caused by alcohol withdrawal.
The findings were recently published in the scientific journal Alcohol. Although the research is still in the early stages, scientists believe the work could eventually lead to new treatment strategies for alcohol use disorder, a condition that affects millions of people worldwide.
Alcohol use disorder is a long-term medical condition in which people struggle to control or stop drinking alcohol even when it causes serious harm to their health, work, relationships, or daily life. One of the biggest challenges in treating the condition is that many people relapse after trying to quit.
Withdrawal symptoms can become severe when heavy drinkers suddenly stop consuming alcohol. During withdrawal, people may experience shaking, anxiety, headaches, sweating, depression, sleep problems, confusion, and in some cases dangerous seizures.
Scientists now believe that alcohol withdrawal may also trigger inflammation inside the brain. This inflammation may contribute to emotional distress, cognitive problems, and damage to brain cells over time.
The University of Kentucky research team wanted to see whether reducing this inflammation could help protect the brain during withdrawal.
The study focused on a drug called MW150. This experimental drug was originally designed to fight neuroinflammation connected to dementia and other brain diseases. Neuroinflammation refers to inflammation affecting the brain and nervous system.
The research was led by scientists in the laboratory of Dr. Linda Van Eldik, director of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. Her laboratory has spent years studying how inflammation contributes to diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
In the new study, researchers tested MW150 in laboratory models designed to mimic alcohol exposure and withdrawal. The team specifically focused on a biological signaling pathway called p38α MAPK, which is strongly linked to inflammatory activity inside the brain.
The scientists found that the drug lowered several inflammatory markers during alcohol withdrawal. The strongest effects were observed after alcohol exposure ended, which is important because withdrawal periods are often when relapse risk becomes highest.
Co-author Dr. Caleb Bailey explained that relapse remains one of the greatest challenges in alcohol addiction treatment. Many people return to drinking during withdrawal because the symptoms become too difficult to manage physically and emotionally.
The researchers believe that if inflammation contributes to these symptoms, reducing inflammation might someday become part of addiction treatment.
One important detail about the study is that MW150 is not a completely new drug. It is already being studied in clinical trials for dementia and other neurological disorders. A related drug called Neflamapimod is also being tested in humans.
Because these drugs are already under development, scientists say they may potentially move more quickly into future alcohol-related research if the results continue to look promising.
The study also highlights a larger shift happening in addiction science. Researchers are increasingly viewing addiction as more than simply a behavioral or psychological issue. Scientists now understand that addiction also involves major biological changes inside the brain.
Long-term alcohol use can affect inflammation, brain signaling, stress systems, memory, and emotional regulation. Understanding these biological changes may help researchers create more effective treatments in the future.
The work is especially meaningful in Kentucky, where alcohol has deep cultural and economic importance because of the bourbon industry. At the same time, the state faces major public health challenges linked to alcohol misuse.
Dr. Bailey noted that while alcohol is closely connected to Kentucky culture, it is also important to recognize the harm alcohol addiction can cause to individuals and communities.
The researchers emphasized that even if anti-inflammatory drugs do not directly stop addictive behavior, protecting the brain during withdrawal could still improve patient outcomes and reduce long-term neurological damage.
The project was also an important academic milestone for undergraduate researcher McKenna Green, who served as the study’s first author. She recently completed degrees in psychology and public health at the University of Kentucky and will continue her studies in the university’s doctoral program in cognitive neuroscience experimental psychology.
Green said participating in research that may eventually help people struggling with addiction was deeply meaningful.
The researchers caution that the findings are still preliminary. More studies are needed before doctors can know whether the drug is safe and effective for alcohol withdrawal treatment in humans.
Future research will examine whether the anti-inflammatory effects seen in laboratory models also appear in living animals and whether the drug can reduce relapse behavior.
Even so, the study provides an important early step toward understanding how brain inflammation may influence addiction and recovery. It also raises the possibility that drugs originally designed for Alzheimer’s disease could someday help people facing alcohol use disorder.
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Source: University of Kentucky.
