Despite the pharmacological and psychosocial tools available for the treatment of alcohol use disorders (AUD), more than 60% of the patients reaching the detoxification and abstinence phases relapse. Therefore, the search for new pharmacological agents to improve the therapeutic response is an important challenge to try to reduce the social and health impact of AUD and improve the quality of life of patients.
The CANNABIAL project will respond to this need with the identification of specific biomarkers (changes in gene expression in lymphocytes) of the different phases of AUD (detoxification, withdrawal and relapse) in patients of the project coordinated with Dr. Rubio’s group. In addition, the use of animal models that simulate some of the most important characteristics of AUD will allow the identification of specific biomarkers (modifications in gene expression in lymphocytes and in selected brain nuclei). In both cases, patients and mice, the involvement of the endogenous cannabinoid system and other markers related to reinforcement and motivation will be studied. Additionally, in the animal model, the therapeutic usefulness of a monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibitor, alone or combined with drugs commonly used in clinical practice, to regulate consumption, ethanol motivation and relapse will be analyzed. All studies in patients and mice will be carried out in both sexes.
The results obtained in the CANNABIAL project will allow the identification of biomarkers of AUD at different stages of alcohol dependence, from a gender perspective, to try to achieve a more accurate diagnosis and design a personalized, more effective and safer pharmacotherapy.
